Filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri has penned a stirring open letter to Union Minister Piyush Goyal, urging the Indian government to treat cinema as a startup-worthy sector—ripe for innovation, investment, and global disruption.

In response to Goyal’s call at ‘Startup Mahakumbh’ for Indian entrepreneurs to move beyond “fancy ice cream and cookies,” Agnihotri argued that India’s film industry is equally guilty of superficial ventures and is in dire need of introspection. While global competitors like Korea, Japan, and the US are using cinema and OTT platforms as engines of cultural and economic power, Indian cinema is “crumbling”—with studios shutting down, producers pivoting to real estate, and substance losing to style.

“Bollywood has shifted from soft power to flower power,” he quipped, lamenting the rise of influencer-driven casting, overpriced multiplexes, and the erosion of bold, rooted storytelling. He pointed to experimental global films like Boyhood, 1917, and Parasite as evidence that innovation and risk-taking are essential for cinematic relevance.

Despite being the world’s second-largest film producer, Agnihotri said India profits little from its stories. “We’re stuck in an East India Company model—creating content for others to monetise,” he noted, referencing the dominance of American platforms like Netflix and Amazon in showcasing Indian films.

He also cited the backlash to his own film, The Kashmir Files, as proof of the hostile environment for bold narratives. “When truth invites fatwas and smear campaigns, how will innovation survive?” he asked, calling for governmental support in the form of funding, incentives, and platforms that back filmmakers—not just celebrities.

Agnihotri’s core pitch? Treat Indian cinema like a startup: foster disruption, champion originality, and export cultural influence. “Cinema can be India’s greatest startup,” he wrote, “but it must shift from elite appeasement to global relevance.”