Box Office
Kamal Haasan Laments Cinema's Shift From Craft To Collections: "It Is Not About Quality Anymore"
BY SACNILK TEAM
Veteran superstar and Ulaganayagan Kamal Haasan has voiced his concerns over the film industry's growing obsession with box office numbers, suggesting that the "mark" of a filmmaker is now measured in crores rather than artistic excellence. The "Mark" of Success: Quality vs. Quantity Speaking at a recent leadership summit in Tamil Nadu, the Thug Life actor reflected on how the benchmarks for success have fundamentally shifted in the modern era of cinema. Haasan highlighted how the industry’s focus has moved away from the "craft" to the "end result"—which is strictly financial. "Now, they tell me I escape the marks. I have made my mark in the field. But now, the system of marking has changed. It is about how many crores you can make. That is my mark now. So, it is not about quality; it isn't about how well I write my exam... they just look at my collections." Art vs. Commercial Hegemony The actor-politician expressed his struggle with the current "hegemony" of the film business, which prioritizes commercial viability over artistic provocation. He noted that while he cares about excellence, the industry is focused on the end result reduced to money. "The end result of my idea of art should be to make uncomfortable people comfortable with my art and to make very comfortable people very uncomfortable," the veteran star explained. On The Work Front Despite his critique of the box office-centric culture, Kamal Haasan continues to be one of the biggest crowd-pullers in Indian cinema. Following the success of Thug Life, his upcoming lineup remains massive: KH237: An action project directed by the duo Anbarivu. Kalki 2898 AD Part 2: Returning as the antagonist Yaskin. KHxRK Reunion: A collaboration with Rajinikanth, slated for early 2026. Stay tuned to Sacnilk for more updates on Cinema and Box Office.
