Not Just About Numbers: Suniel Shetty on the True Success of Films In Today's Times

Suniel Shetty is geared up to step into the shoes of a fearless warrior, Vegda Ji, in his upcoming historical drama, Kesari Veer: Legends of Somnath. He will be seen sharing the screen space for the first time with Vivek Oberoi, Sooraj Pancholi, and debutant Akanksha Sharma in the epic drama, directed by Prince Dhiman. During the recently held trailer launch event, the legendary actor spoke about telling a story about India's historical warrior and opined how the Indian curriculum teaches more about Aurangzeb, Akbar, and others, but teaches less about Indian warriors. 

Suniel Shetty shared, "We haven’t been taught about our history in schools and colleges. We’ve been taught about Aurangzeb, Akbar, and Birbal, but not about our heroes. I think that the time is now to tell those untold stories. The audience has changed. There are multiple mediums through which these stories can reach them, till the last mile, till the end user. I believe that we’ve forgotten that there is an audience who desires to watch films. They are responsible for the success and failure of a film."

He adds, "We think a film has achieved success when it looks successful on the financial table. But that’s not how it is. Unfortunately, we’ve been seeing this for the past few years. I think it’s important that we go back to the drawing table and take out such stories and narrate them in our own way. We have 28 states and 9 union territories, and each state and each union territory has its own story. Kanu Chauhan came up and said that he wants to tell the story of Gujarat. Maybe I would not know as much, maybe I would want to talk about the story from Karnataka. Stories will be told when actors, directors, and producers tell them."

"We speak about comparing our films, and it’s that fear that is stopping us. It’s important to let go of the fear and start believing in ourselves and execute the films that make sense, and not necessarily financial sense only. People will watch this story, hear it, and stories like these will be told in the future also," he concludes.

Meanwhile, Kesari Veer: Legends Of Somnath is one of the most anticipated historical films of recent times. Featuring an ensemble cast led by Suniel Shetty, Vivek Oberoi, Sooraj Pancholi, and debutant Akanksha Sharma, Kesari Veer is directed by Prince Dhiman and produced by Kanu Chauhan under the Chauhan Studios banner. A Panorama Studios worldwide release, the film promises a thrilling blend of action, emotion, and drama, set to captivate audiences worldwide on 16th May 2025.