Story is King, Online hits can't make a film success:Manjrekar

Right from actors to filmmakers, Bollywood is heavily relying on social media for the promotion of films but director Mahesh Manjrekar believes that online hits cannot turn a movie into a success.
Though he said social media is the need of the hour, it cannot change the fate of the film if "the subject is bad".
"Social media is important but it doesn't deserve the importance it is being given. If the subject is bad, it is useless.
"People talk about one million hits two million hits but it doesn't translate into anything. You don't spend anything to watch a trailer, it's free. Social media is not at all responsible for a success," he said.

The actor was speaking at Mumbai Press Club's Knowledge Series on 'Makeover of Marathi Cinema'.
When asked if social media also plays a huge role in making regional films a success, Manjrekar, who has directed the Marathi film "Natsamrat" said that the Nana Patekar starrer would have received a great response at the box office even it was made 10 years ago.

The 2016 film was the screen adaptation of the Marathi play of the same name, which was first staged in 1970.
"Natasamrat would've worked even 5, 10 years ago because of the importance of the title. I had my audience of the play. I just got excited with the title and did it. I hadn't seen the play.

"When I read the book I realised there is no cinema in it. It was a compilation of lots of soliloquies with black and white characters. Subject is the 'King'," Manjrekar said.