Richa Chadha: Stories don’t need big stars to draw crowds

April 17, 2026

Actor-producer Richa Chadha has questioned why independent filmmakers continue to cast “commercial” actors who, she says, bring neither box-office pull to stories that don’t need such faces nor festival credibility to benefit the indie film.

“If an actor isn’t opening a film theatrically for you on a Friday and doesn’t add any real weight at festivals either, then what exactly is the advantage of casting them in an independent film?” Richa said in a statement. The actress said that she is not suggesting anything, but “at least with trained actors you have the assurance that the performance quality will be maintained.”

“There’s a commerce behind Indie films too, some stories don’t need that big a face always to pull the crowds. It’s a more economical thought to hire an actor who brings credibility without having to create a huge hole in the budget.” She added, “Not taking away from any actor’s ability or worth, the idea is for Indie films to survive in 2026 truly, we have to know and learn that audiences want to see quality stories, with credible actors who won’t dent the budget because the entourage has to be accommodated as well.”

Richa highlighted that independent cinema was historically built on risk-taking, authenticity, and strong storytelling. “Indie films are meant to discover new voices, actors, writers, and technicians who bring freshness and honesty. When filmmakers compromise on casting for the illusion of ‘commercial value,’ the film loses its soul,” she said.

The actress added that in the 1980s “we had a thriving indie cinema movement and legendary actors like Faroque Sheikh, Amol Plaekar, Shabana Azmi were all stars in their own right.”

“That space has disappeared today. If the whole industry is going to sit around waiting for a nod from 5 top male actors, on who are very tired and busy, on whose shoulders you want to mount the films, all the best to you, meaning there won’t be enough output,” she added.