There was a time when Bollywood dominated the Indian film industry with its massive budgets, business, and collections that other industries couldn’t match. South Indian films rarely found an audience in the North, but today, the scenario has completely changed. South films are now creating waves at the pan-India level while Bollywood struggles to keep up.

At a recent function, legendary writer Javed Akhtar asked Aamir Khan an interesting question. He pointed out how films featuring South Indian heroes, who were once unfamiliar faces in the North, now earn hundreds of crores, whereas Bollywood films are falling behind. He asked Aamir what he thought was the reason for this shift.

Aamir responded by downplaying the regional divide, emphasizing that it doesn’t matter where a film comes from. Instead, he highlighted the impact of OTT platforms as a key factor in Bollywood’s struggle. He explained, "We request audiences to come to theaters and watch our films, but if they don’t, we make them available on OTT just eight weeks later. Viewers who have an OTT subscription wait and watch the film at home. I don't know how to sell the same product twice."

Aamir recalled that before OTT platforms existed, audiences had no choice but to visit theaters. But now, unless a film truly excites them, they prefer to wait for its digital release. He remarked that Bollywood is inadvertently damaging itself with this business model. He also noted that Hindi filmmakers, in their pursuit of modernization, forget the core emotional elements that once connected them with audiences. "We are failing to blend emotions effectively. We need to touch upon different aspects of life and reconnect with our roots," he concluded.