Actor Avinash Tiwary is currently in the news for his film Ginny Weds Sunny 2. In a recent interview, he spoke about what he feels are key issues in the film industry. He pointed out that there is often a gap between what audiences say they appreciate and what they actually support in theatres.
Avinash mentioned actors like Manoj Bajpayee, Vikrant Massey, and Pratik Gandhi. He said these performers are often called “underrated,” but this praise does not always lead to strong box office collections for their films. He also added that in industries like South cinema and Hollywood, performances based on talent are more consistently supported by audiences.
During his conversation with Siddharth Kanan, Avinash raised questions about the focus on physical appearance in Bollywood. He said, “Aapko kahin pe bhi, kisi industry mein… I know I might get flak for this, par kahin pe bhi 60 saal ke log 6-pack, 8-pack bana ke ghoom rahe hain? (Anywhere, in any industry… I know I might get flak for this, but where else do you see 60-year-olds walking around with six-pack or eight-pack abs?) Even in Hollywood, Arnold Schwarzenegger is not doing that, Sylvester Stallone… there is no need to. There is no vanity or desirability that needs to be sold off. Not even in the South, why is it only in the Hindi film industry? That is a question we all need to answer.”
He further spoke about how much importance is given to box office numbers. He said, “There’s no value for the skill, craft. Audience baithke box office numbers dekh rahi hai. Kahan hota hai yeh sab? Main 20 saal se acting kar raha hoon (Audience is looking at box office numbers. Where else does this happen? I have been acting for 20 years), and there are various projects that I have done, and we can always debate what is good and bad.”
Avinash also explained that he was talking about actors who are respected for their work but may not get enough support from audiences. According to him, a lot of attention goes to surface level things, such as a shirtless photo creating buzz, while strong performances are sometimes ignored. He added that if looks are the main focus, then films might as well feature models instead of trained actors.
Although he did not mention any specific names, fans of Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, and Akshay Kumar reacted strongly. The interview clip has been widely shared on social media, where it has received both criticism and discussion from viewers.