On his X account, Hansal Mehta frequently expresses his opinions on the movies he has seen, any specific occurrence, or even engages with users and followers on the site. The filmmaker asked a question on Friday about the necessity of running massive marketing campaigns for movies and television programs.

What Hansal stated

"Do these generic, template promotions for movies and series actually work?" was the opening line of Hansal's letter. Do they force individuals to watch? Does the movie/series improve in any way? Or do they just support a fictitious ecosystem made up of PR firms, costume designers, event organizers, influencers, sponsors, red carpets, press conferences, paid 'reviews,' and social media fluff? Everything appears to be successful. It has the appearance of popularity. But is it, though? A trailer should pique interest, right? Shouldn't a good movie or series, along with enticing promotional units, be sufficient?

"What's the most effective approach to promoting a story in today's environment?"

"Instead, we're stuck watching the same actors answer the same 10 questions on the same podcasts in the same studios, flying from one city to another, chasing a perception," he continued. This is a question, not a rant: How can a story be promoted now without getting drawn into a system that supports neither the artist nor the art itself?

In recent years, films like Thug Life, Sitaare Zameen Par, and Metro In Dino have gained notoriety for their widespread marketing coverage, even though he didn't mention any names specifically.

The National Award-winning filmmaker Hansal is responsible for movies like Shahid, Citylights, and The Buckingham Murders. Earlier this year, he established his own production company, True Story Films, together with producer Sahil Saigal.