Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur lately took to social media to voice his frustration over the unauthorized modifying of his iconic 1994 movie, Bandit Queen, for its OTT launch on Amazon Prime Video. In a sequence of impassioned posts, Kapur highlighted the painstaking effort that goes into crafting a movie, solely to see it “carelessly butchered” by an unknown hand for streaming platforms. Fellow filmmaker Hansal Mehta joined the dialogue, amplifying Kapur’s issues, whereas Sudhir Mishra’s earlier remarks set the stage for this ongoing debate.
Shekhar Kapur SLAMS Prime Video for “carelessly butchering” Bandit Queen for OTT launch
The Coronary heart of the Controversy: ‘Bandit Queen’ Edited Past Recognition
Kapur’s grievances heart on the OTT model of Bandit Queen, a biographical drama primarily based on the lifetime of Phoolan Devi, which he claims has been altered with out his consent. In a tweet, he reminisced concerning the months spent perfecting the movie alongside editor Renu Saluja. “The anguish a director and editor undergo when modifying their movies… After which some random particular person carelessly cuts the movie for OTT launch?” he wrote, questioning whether or not the person accountable thought of the love poured into the undertaking, the affect on Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s haunting soundtrack, or the performances delivered below grueling 50-degree warmth.
The filmmaker didn’t maintain again, pointedly asking, “Did you even take into consideration the love we give for our artwork?” He tagged friends Sudhir Mishra and Hansal Mehta, signaling a name to motion amongst India’s cinematic group.
The anguish a director and editor undergo when modifying their movies. The times/nights spent arguing, combating over every edit, every minimize. I keep in mind these months with Renu Saluja and myself on #BanditQueen. After which some random particular person carelessly cuts the movie for OTT launch?
I…
— Shekhar Kapur (@shekharkapur) March 19, 2025
Hansal Mehta’s Response: A Cry for Inventive Integrity
Hansal Mehta responded with a scathing critique of the systemic points plaguing Indian filmmakers. “It’s unhappy to know {that a} movie that ought to all the time be India’s delight will get handled this fashion,” he wrote, lamenting the shortage of pushback towards such practices. Mehta argued that Indian filmmakers have change into accustomed to being “slaves of the West,” submitting to the whims of streaming platforms with out protest. He pointed to the absence of a sturdy guild or affiliation to guard administrators’ rights, noting that present our bodies are extra centered on political agendas than safeguarding inventive integrity.
Mehta expressed hope that Kapur’s stature— bolstered by his Padma Bhushan award and international recognition—would possibly spur change. Nevertheless, he concluded with a grim reflection: “Till then, again to our submissive selves? Members of the brand new content-driven colony that creates cattle feed to drive subscriptions whereas fulfilling the inventive ambitions of its Western masters.”
It’s unhappy to know {that a} movie that ought to all the time be India’s delight will get handled this fashion. However then what’s new? We’ve change into so used to being handled as slaves of the west. No protest. No pushback. Whole submission. As a result of they’re doing us a favour. Our integrity as artistes is…
— Hansal Mehta (@mehtahansal) March 19, 2025
The Spark: Reward for Netflix’s Adolescence
The controversy traces again to Kapur’s earlier reward for Netflix’s British miniseries Adolescence, which he lauded as “next-level storytelling.” In a tweet, he wrote, “I’m not the primary one to say this however #Adolescence from #Netflix redefines what really nice sequence can obtain. It defies the common 3-act construction of trigger and impact and plunges you deeply into the minds of the characters.”
The publish caught the eye of Sudhir Mishra, who responded, “No one will allow us to do one thing like that. One ought to do it as an unbiased movie. One thing of our personal which wanders, then stops, digs, and goes the place the scent takes us.” This alternate prompted Kapur to mirror on whether or not he may even make Bandit Queen—a movie celebrated for its uncooked, unfiltered narrative—below at the moment’s OTT panorama.
No one will allow us to do one thing like that . One ought to do it as an unbiased movie . One thing of our personal which is wanders , then stops , digs and goes the place the scent takes us . https://t.co/BiHTjrwSfd
— Sudhir Mishra (@IAmSudhirMishra) March 18, 2025
A Broader Debate: Artistic Freedom within the OTT Period
Kapur’s ordeal with Bandit Queen isn’t an remoted incident. The movie, which received the Nationwide Movie Award for Finest Characteristic Movie in Hindi and was India’s official entry for the Oscars in 1995, has lengthy been a logo of fearless storytelling. Its gritty depiction of caste violence and sexual oppression stirred controversy upon launch, but it earned international acclaim.
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Extra Pages: Bandit Queen Field Workplace Assortment
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