The trailer for Sky Force, starring Akshay Kumar and Veer Pahariya, was unveiled at a grand event in Mumbai. The launch, attended by the film’s star-studded cast and producers, including Dinesh Vijan and Jyoti Deshpande, became a platform for a spirited discussion about the Hindi film industry in response to comments made by South Indian producer Naga Vamsi.
During the event, Akshay Kumar and Dinesh Vijan were questioned about Vamsi’s claim that “Bollywood makes films only for Bandra and Juhu.” Vamsi had recently stated that South Indian films like Baahubali, RRR, Animal, and Jawan have reshaped how Bollywood perceives cinema, achieving monumental success both domestically and internationally.
Countering the criticism, Dinesh Vijan highlighted Bollywood’s recent accomplishments, particularly post-pandemic. “Maybe we don’t speak a lot about ourselves, but the fact is we’ve had five huge films. Just Maddock Films, just Jio Films are not enough to run the industry,” he said, emphasizing that multiple Hindi films have crossed the Rs 500-crore mark in recent years.
He also acknowledged the warmth he has received in the South, stating, “Whenever I have gone to the South, they’ve been very, very encouraging.”
Vijan stressed the need to view Indian cinema holistically, remarking, “If we start looking at it as the Indian film industry, it would be 500+800=1300 (crore).”
Akshay Kumar echoed this sentiment, urging a collective celebration of Indian films’ success across languages and regions.
Naga Vamsi’s remarks were made during a producers’ roundtable hosted by Galatta Plus. He credited South Indian films for transforming Bollywood’s approach to storytelling, critiquing what he referred to as a “Bandra and Juhu mindset.”
Directed by Sandeep Kewlani and Abhishek Anil Kapur, Sky Force promises to be an engaging cinematic experience, blending compelling storytelling with powerful performances. The film is set to release on January 24.
