Ajay Devgn on the challenge of making Hindi cinema: How will a Hindi film appeal to everyone?

At a time when the Hindi film industry is navigating intense competition from international and regional cinema, Ajay Devgn believes making a Hindi film has become one of the toughest challenges for filmmakers.‘Numbers will only follow if you’ve made a good film’Speaking at FICCI Frames 2026, Ajay pointed out that unlike regional cinema, which generally has a clearly defined audience, Hindi films have to cater to viewers with vastly different tastes, languages and sensibilities across the country.”Speaking about the changing dynamics of Hindi cinema, Ajay said, “Today, numbers will only follow if you’ve made a good film; otherwise, you won’t get the numbers. Earlier, the numbers would follow in spite of you not making a great film, but today, the film will crash on the second day.”He continued, “I’m not taking away credit from any other cinema. It is difficult to make films everywhere, whether it is international or traditional cinema. Personally, I feel that making a Hindi film is most difficult because you do not know who your target audience is. When you make a Punjabi, Tamil or Telugu film, you know your audience as it is for a certain region. But for a Hindi film to achieve the numbers, it’s not the same, as every 80 to 90 kms, the language and thought process changes, so if one section of the audience likes the film, the other section might not. How will a Hindi film appeal to everyone? Hence, I feel it is most difficult to write a Hindi film.”‘The core of the original should not be diluted’For Ajay, the success of a sequel isn’t necessarily about recreating the success of the first film — it is about whether audiences have invested enough in the character to want to see more of his story. As he returns as Vijay Salgaonkar in Drishyam: The Conclusion, which hits the theatres this Friday, Ajay said the character cannot be drastically altered simply to create something new. “I think sequels don’t work, the characters work,” he added, pointing to franchises such as Golmaal, Singham and Drishyam as examples where audiences have formed a connection with the central characters.Adding to Ajay’s point, Alok Jain, Head — Hindi & English Entertainment (Streaming, TV & Studios), JioStar, said the challenge for a long-running franchise is to preserve its original DNA while ensuring that its storytelling evolves with its audience. “I think for a 10-year-old franchise, you have to keep building it, keeping in mind that the core of the original is not diluted by any measure,” he said.At the same time, Jain believes a franchise cannot remain frozen in time. He added, “You have to still make that content, which is in sync with the audience, which they want to see now. Because in 10-15 years, things would have changed, emotions and expectations would have changed. You have to do the balancing act.”‘Vijay Salgaonkar is more prepared this time’Explaining how he approached Vijay Salgaokar’s character this time around, Ajay said, “This time, Vijay Salgaonkar is more prepared for what is going to happen. That’s the only difference, otherwise, you can’t digress too much because the film is starting from where it ended. But playing the character now is a bit different because with age, he has also experienced more and developed a certain kind of calmness.”For Ajay, that emotional investment in a character is what allows a franchise to sustain itself. “If you pick up any of these characters, Gopal (Golmaal), Singham (Singham) or Vijay (Drishyam), the audience is invested in them. When the audience is invested in a character, then you can make sequels. You can’t just make a sequel because you have made a great film which worked,” he explained.Get the latest Bollywood & Entertainment News, and more. Download the TOI app.Give your child the gift of confidence! Claim your exclusive TOI Masterclass spot today!