Filmmaker Nikkhil Advani has reflected on his film Vedaa, which addresses caste issues in rural India while being packaged as an action entertainer. He admits that this approach compromised the film’s integrity and purity, acknowledging it as a mistake.
At the 7th Indian Screenwriters Conference, Nikkhil discussed his 2024 film, ‘Vedaa’, starring John Abraham and Sharvari Wagh. The film centers on a young Dalit woman’s fight against caste discrimination. Advani said the movie, while headlined by Abraham and Sharvari, was compromised by the pressure to be “too entertaining” to appeal to a wider audience. He regrets adding excessive action and masala, which diluted the film’s focus on its social message.
Advani acknowledged that he made a mistake with his film Vedaa, which tells the story of a Dalit girl aspiring to be a boxer, whose life is disrupted by upper-caste violence. He recognized that no one might want to watch a story about a Dalit girl, yet he was determined to tell it. His error, he said, was making the film “too entertaining” by adding excessive action and masala, believing that this would draw audiences in. He shared these thoughts during a conversation with writer Darab Farooqui in a session titled ‘Entertainment and Social Reality: How They Go Hand in Hand.’
When asked about Dalit representation in ‘Vedaa’, Nikkhil noted that many people reached out to share their experiences and realities. However, he emphasized that the film’s focus on entertainment ultimately compromised its authenticity. “The entertainment aspect of telling a story completely makes it impure,” he stated.
Advani, who has directed films like ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’ and ‘D-Day’, questioned whether figures like Manmohan Desai or Salim-Javed define entertainment, or if it’s what filmmakers are currently doing. For him, the most crucial elements are drama, character dignity, and logical motivations behind their actions.
‘Vedaa’, released on August 15, 2024, also starred Abhishek Banerjee and Ashish Vidyarthi. The film, which addresses caste discrimination, received mixed reviews from critics and struggled at the box office, earning only ₹26 crore worldwide against a budget of ₹60 crore.