“Indie Films Are Being Bulldozed — Nawazuddin Siddiqui Sounds the Alarm on Bollywood’s Screen Shortage”

In a blunt critique of the Hindi-film industry, veteran actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui has revealed that independent films are being strangled at the box-office — not necessarily due to content, but because they simply don’t get enough screens. He warns that this systematic neglect is endangering creativity in Indian cinema.

Siddiqui explained that while smaller films can deliver strong stories and perform well critically, they face a major bottleneck: limited theatrical release. “Most of the independent films are released on a smaller level,” he commented, “they get fewer screens and more people do not come to watch it.” He underscored that without screen access, even a worthy film is handicapped before it begins.

He went further to spotlight the wider implication: “If [indie cinema] fizzles out, it’ll be very bad for creativity.” According to Siddiqui, independent storytellers are the ones pushing boundaries, portraying real India — the streets, the corners, the under–represented — but they aren’t given the ecosystem to succeed.

The actor’s warning aligns with a larger critique of the Hindi-film business model. Siddiqui pointed out that big commercial productions still dominate screens, budgets and mind-share — while smaller films remain stuck in a loop of limited release, limited visibility, limited opportunity. He referenced the irony: despite shining on international platforms, these indie films often “don’t get much visibility or space” domestically.

This argument is hardly new, but hearing it from one of India’s most respected character actors gives it renewed weight. Siddiqui has been part of both commercial hits and critical successes — which makes his verdict all the more credible. His appeal essentially asks: if you give these films just a fair number of screens, you’d see how much audience they actually have.

The controversy lies in what his words expose: if the screen space is skewed in favour of star-driven blockbusters, then the system is structurally biased. Does Indian cinema value diversity of voices — or are the “safe bets” monopolising the real estate? Siddiqui suggests it’s the latter. He even argued that lack of screens is one of the raw reasons films fail at the box office.

For audiences and analysts alike, the key takeaway is his call to action: for the health of the industry, for genuine creativity to thrive, the independent space must be protected — and that starts with access. Screens might seem like a logistical detail, but in reality they are the gatekeepers to what stories get told and what voices are heard.

In short: Nawazuddin Siddiqui warns that unless India rethinks how it allocates theatre screens, its indie cinema — and with it, its creative future — is being left on the sidelines.