Anubhav Sinha Launches Small-City Tour To Connect With Audience

MUMBAI – Filmmaker-producer Anubhav Sinha, known for films like ‘Mulk’, ‘Thappad’, and ‘Bheed’, is launching a nationwide tour of small cities to connect directly with audiences.

Announcing the initiative as the ‘Chal Picture Chalein Tour’, Sinha explained that the purpose is to understand what drives the widening gap between audience expectations and the films being made. “There is a growing communication gap between filmmakers and the audience. We often make assumptions about what will work, but we rarely get a chance to talk directly to viewers,” he said.

Sinha, originally from Banaras, emphasized his understanding of small-city audiences and their evolving tastes. “I realized that even cities I thought I knew have changed. To make films that truly resonate, I need to listen to people, see what they want, and understand their expectations from Bollywood,” he said.

Over the next two months, Sinha plans to visit 15–25 small cities, meet audiences, explore local theaters, and engage with theater owners and managers. The filmmaker stressed that the tour is about more than promotion: it is a mission to reconnect with viewers and grasp their cinematic preferences firsthand.

“By going to the streets, the shops, and the theaters, I hope to understand the audience better and bridge this communication gap,” Sinha added. He intends to inform cities in advance to meet audiences personally and foster direct dialogue about cinema.

The tour marks a rare effort by a leading Bollywood filmmaker to step out of urban centers and engage with the grassroots of India’s filmgoing public.