Top News

Actor and screenwriter Hussain Dalal believes that films should focus on being khaas (special) rather than just mass, emphasizing the importance of understanding the audience. Speaking from Mohammad Ali Road, he says connecting with people and their stories is key to making cinema relatable and meaningful.

There has been a lot of chatter about cinema needing to be “mass.” However, actor and screenwriter Hussain Dalal believes that instead of a film being mass, it should be “khaas.” He goes on to explain the difference between a movie being “khaas” and being “mass.”

In a candid chat with Husaain Dalal at Mohammad Ali Road in Ramzan, Husaain explained, "We talk a lot about mass cinema, but I think cinema should be khaas." He further explained while adding, "Khaas hoga to sablog dekhenge, aap mass bol rahe ho to matalab bhot log dekhenge aur bhot log dekh ke pasand na karein to? Phir kya hoga? (If it’s special, everyone will watch it. But if you call it mass, it only means that many people will watch it, but what if many people watch it and don’t like it? Then what happens?)"

Further referring to his food while explaining cinema, Hussain Dalal said that if a film is khaas, just like his food, everyone will enjoy it. According to him, this is the difference between khaas and mass.

The actor and screenwriter further added that whoever says that a story needs to be mass is a "disrespectful and patronizing term", as the story needs to be "khaas." Further explaining when a story becomes "khaas," Hussain Dalal says, "When you understand the problems of the audience, if you don’t even walk on the streets or meet the people whose money you want in theatres, then you’ll only discuss mass cinema, you won’t actually make it."