Updated On: 12 January, 2021 08:10 AM IST | Mumbai | Mohar Basu
After trade dubs Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi a “commercial disaster”, director Seema Pahwa notes how small films have hit the marquee despite 50 per cent occupancy order.

The film stars Naseeruddin Shah and Konkona Sensharma, among others
While big-ticket releases have shied away from theatres, it is the smaller films that have been placing their bets on cinemas. Soon after Seema Pahwa’s directorial debut Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi — featuring Naseeruddin Shah, Konkona Sensharma, and Vikrant Massey — hit the marquee on January 1, trade circles dubbed it a “commercial disaster”. The director is hurt that films continue to be judged by their box-office performance, especially at a time when movie halls are operating at 50 per cent capacity. Manoj Bajpayee, whose Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari hit screens post-pandemic, too questioned the practice.
“For a film to release in current times and survive is a challenge in itself. How can box-office be the yardstick of a film’s success when theatres are functioning at half the capacity? Samay ka dosh hai, meri film ka nahin,” asserts Pahwa, whose little gem about a joint family’s interpersonal dynamics has won glowing reviews. “When people ask me why shows like Hum Log aren’t made anymore, I tell them that these days, filmmakers make commodities for profits instead of making films that give a message. There’s such an atmosphere of fear that directors and writers have to compromise on their subjects.”