At a time when several filmmakers are questioning Bollywood’s growing obsession with formula-driven storytelling, actor Priya Banerjee has echoed similar concerns, calling out the industry for losing its creative spark. While she believes mainstream Hindi cinema is stuck in a repetitive loop, she credits OTT platforms for taking risks and backing fresh, unconventional ideas.
In an exclusive interview with Hindustan Times, Priya spoke about her journey and choices, reflecting on why she has always steered clear of conventional roles and gravitated towards characters that excite her, even if they fall outside the mainstream. She also expressed her concerns about Bollywood and the business behind it.
Priya Banerjee on always being unconventional
Priya was most recently seen in Candy and the Pizza Ggirl. Talking about choosing to do a bold, unconventional role in the film, she said she has never been calculative about the kind of roles she takes on and instead prefers characters that challenge her. She said, “I am anything but conventional. I didn’t come here to become an actor. I wasn’t calculative with my moves. That’s what I have seen and realised over time that all my actor friends are. But again, their passion was acting; they always wanted to be a part of Bollywood. They don’t want to make a mistake. I wasn’t raised in India; I was raised somewhere else. For me, Bollywood was very new.”
She further added that she was simply having fun and choosing roles that excite her as an actor. She said, “I was getting all the attention, making money. I never chose characters that would make me feel like, no, I want to go back home, I am bored. I have always picked unconventional characters which are fun. If I am spending 20 days on set, I might as well play a character that’s nothing like me. I have done certain things like Dil Jo Na Keh Saka, which was very much like a rom-com. But I never enjoyed doing those. Very soon I realised I can’t sit in front of the camera, look pretty and smile. I’m doing this work because I enjoy it, not because I want to become a star.”
Priya Banerjee calls out Bollywood’s lack of originality
Priya added that she is proud of never taking up roles purely for money. She said, “If you look at Hollywood or British cinema, you see actors taking up such interesting and challenging roles. They are not afraid of doing something. In the moment there is fear, I think currently Bollywood is in a very bad space. There are no innovative ideas or innovative films. There are no original ideas. Everybody is writing everything — jo chal gaya vohi banao.”
She further criticised the lack of originality in Hindi cinema, adding that she doesn’t remember the last time she enjoyed a Bollywood film. She said, “And I don’t enjoy watching Hindi films. It’s not fun. The same thing over and over again. Yahan wahan on some Netflix or other channels you see some nice shows with not-so-known actors but very original ideas. Those I love watching. OTT has made that place. Even I was telling my director, Prime saw something in this movie, that they took it and bought it. Some platforms are pushing creative ideas with newcomers and original, wacky stuff.”
Priya believes Bollywood has become repetitive. She added, “But mainstream Bollywood has really lost its way. I don’t think there’s anything original coming out. Same rom-coms, ladki ladka bike pe hain (girl and boy on a bike), you know what this used to happen in the 1990s. I am like, it doesn’t make any sense. I don’t want to play that, I don’t want to watch that anymore. I’d rather do something wacky.”
She also spoke about Bollywood functioning as a business, saying, “They are all calculating movements so that they can make a certain amount of money. There are a lot of new actors and directors trying to make good and original films, but many of them don’t see the light of day because they don’t have the backing, unfortunately. Even a movie like mine wouldn’t have seen the light of day had Amazon Prime not backed it. Innovative, fun and wacky films don’t get the right platform because people are too scared to take a risk.”
About Candy and the Pizza Ggirl
Helmed by Akkhil Kapur, the film tells the story of several eccentric strangers who collide in a neon-lit chain of bizarre events. As crime, dark humour and absurd coincidences unfold across the city, secrets unravel and loyalties shift, turning one unpredictable night into a satirical ride through urban madness. Apart from Priya, the film also stars Ninad Kamat, Dara Sandhu, Sivani Singh, Nimish Shitole and Aniket Sanghvi in key roles. The film is available to watch on Prime Video.
