Anurag Kashyap criticises Shankar’s ‘reel-like’ approach to Game Changer

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has voiced concern over a growing trend among filmmakers, responding to comments reportedly made by Game Changer director S Shankar about tailoring films to suit the audience’s shrinking attention spans.

During a gathering in Dallas, Shankar had allegedly remarked that the structure of his upcoming film Game Changer was designed to cater to contemporary viewing habits, likening its format to a series of Instagram Reels stitched together.

Reacting to this, Kashyap shared his thoughts on the implications of such an approach. “I was recently reading this statement by Shankar sir saying, ‘Today’s audience’s (attention) span has become very short. They watch Reels. So, we have kept that in mind while doing Game Changer.’ I don’t know what that means, and we’ll only know when we see the film,” Kashyap said.

He continued by critiquing the shift in creative philosophy. “A lot of filmmakers are talking in this language like, ‘My film is just like Reels put together because that’s what the audience wants to watch.’ Filmmakers who, at one point, were like chefs for me, creating things, are becoming caterers.”

Kashyap cautioned against prioritising audience expectations over artistic vision. “The moment you start thinking in terms of what the audience wants, that’s when the decline begins. The audience is not a one-organ person; it’s a massive sea of people. I still go by the old dictum of what filmmakers used to say: ‘The audience will see what we put on screen with conviction, passion and love.’ That’s how you create a new thing. If you’re trying to guess what the audience wants to watch, then you are literally destroying yourself… limiting yourself.”

Game Changer, starring Ram Charan and Kiara Advani, is one of the most anticipated projects of the year. The film’s trailer is set to be released on January 2, with the movie hitting theatres on January 10.