Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur just 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 collection 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 Heart of the Controversy: ‘Bandit Queen’ Edited Beyond 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 in regards to the months spent perfecting the movie alongside editor Renu Saluja. “The anguish a director and editor go through when editing their films… And then some random person carelessly cuts the film for OTT release?” he wrote, questioning whether or not the person accountable thought of the love poured into the mission, the influence on Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s haunting soundtrack, or the performances delivered beneath grueling 50-degree warmth.
The filmmaker didn’t maintain again, pointedly asking, “Did you even think about the love we give for our art?” He tagged friends Sudhir Mishra and Hansal Mehta, signaling a name to motion amongst India’s cinematic neighborhood.
The anguish a director and editor undergo when modifying their movies. The days/nights spent arguing, combating over every edit, every lower. I keep in mind these months with Renu Saluja and myself on #BanditQueen. And then some random individual carelessly cuts the movie for OTT launch?
I…
— Shekhar Kapur (@shekharkapur) March 19, 2025
Hansal Mehta’s Response: A Cry for Artistic Integrity
Hansal Mehta responded with a scathing critique of the systemic points plaguing Indian filmmakers. “It is sad to know that a film that should always be India’s pride gets treated this way,” he wrote, lamenting the dearth 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 current our bodies are extra centered on political agendas than safeguarding creative integrity.
Mehta expressed hope that Kapur’s stature— bolstered by his Padma Bhushan award and world recognition—would possibly spur change. However, he concluded with a grim reflection: “Until then, back to our submissive selves? Members of the new content-driven colony that creates cattle feed to drive subscriptions while fulfilling the artistic ambitions of its Western masters.”
It is gloomy to know {that a} movie that ought to at all times be India’s satisfaction will get handled this fashion. But then what’s new? We’ve change into so used to being handled as slaves of the west. No protest. No pushback. Total submission. Because they’re doing us a favour. Our integrity as artistes is…
— Hansal Mehta (@mehtahansal) March 19, 2025
The Spark: Praise 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 first one to say this but #Adolescence from #Netflix redefines what truly great series can achieve. It defies the regular 3-act structure of cause and effect and plunges you deeply into the minds of the characters.”
The publish caught the eye of Sudhir Mishra, who responded, “Nobody will let us do something like that. One should do it as an independent film. Something of our own which wanders, then stops, digs, and goes where the smell takes us.” This trade prompted Kapur to mirror on whether or not he might even make Bandit Queen—a movie celebrated for its uncooked, unfiltered narrative—beneath at present’s OTT panorama.
Nobody will allow us to do one thing like that . One ought to do it as an impartial movie . Something of our personal which is wanders , then stops , digs and goes the place the odor takes us . https://t.co/BiHTjrwSfd
— Sudhir Mishra (@IAmSudhirMishra) March 18, 2025
A Broader Debate: Creative Freedom within the OTT Era
Kapur’s ordeal with Bandit Queen isn’t an remoted incident. The movie, which gained the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi and was India’s official entry for the Oscars in 1995, has lengthy been an emblem of fearless storytelling. Its gritty depiction of caste violence and sexual oppression stirred controversy upon launch, but it earned world acclaim.
Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Shekhar Kapur rumoured to staff up with Avani Rai as Director of Photography for Masoom: The Next Generation
More Pages: Bandit Queen Box Office Collection
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