Firstpost At IFFI 2025 — EXCLUSIVE | Actor Sunny Hinduja on cinema changing: 'I don't think about commercial or non-mainstream'

Actor Sunny Hinduja has carved a niche for himself right from the time the world saw him for the first time. He has given the classic TVF Aspirants and also played the role of the antagonist in Kartik Aaryan’s Shehzaada. The actor has now turned writer, producer, and director with a film called That’s A Wrap.

Hinduja spoke about a lot of things in an exclusive interview with Firstpost, right from cinema changing to and attending IFFI many times in the past.

Edited excerpts from the interview:

What are your memories of this festival and how excited are you for your film?

We have got our film at IFFI for the first time. As a FTII student, I have visited IFFI 4-5 times. Coming back to the festival after so many years, not only as a film enthusiast but also as a filmmaker, it is a completely different and special feeling for me.

Cinema is rapidly changing and so is the way the characters are written. What’s your take on that?

Cinema and OTT have been a boon in terms of changing perspectives, and the way people look out for Content. OTT has played a big role. It’s also a big boon for writers, directors, technicians. Everybody can have stuff of their choice. People also have the courage to write different stories and to be able to portray different characters. As actors you wouldn’t get those chances otherwise. And now we are trying to create a story that can resonate with people. This is the idea me and Shinjini are planning to write, create and produce, and produce more and more feature films.

What’s your take on alternative cinema?

It is important the way you want to portrait your story. I don’t think about commercial mainstream or non-mainstream. If I am trying to make a film, I try to make it as real and as engaging and entertaining. I am very new in terms of making so I cannot say much. I want to blur these lines between art and commerce. I just want to make a good film.