ALL ARE NEW FACES – Why the System is Rigged Against Indie Filmmakers

Let’s stop sugarcoating. The film distribution system in India is broken—and it’s designed to keep outsiders out.

I know this because I lived it.

I spent three years making a thriller film called Million Views. I auditioned nearly 1000 actors and handpicked the 100 most talented artists—people with 8 to 10 years of real acting experience, who’ve given their blood and sweat to the craft.

The result? A damn good film. But the moment I stepped into the distribution world, reality hit me like a brick wall.

The Pay-to-Play Scam Called Distribution

Every distributor I met in Mumbai asked for ₹1 crore as “distribution fees.”Sounds fancy, right? In reality, it’s just a polite way of saying: “Pay us to even let your film breathe in theaters.”

Let’s be real—how can an independent filmmaker from a middle-class background self-fund a film AND cough up crores just to release it?

The clear message: Theaters are for the rich. Indie filmmakers, stay out.

OTT: The False Savior

We all thought OTT platforms would be the revolution for creators like us. Freedom, diversity, space for new talent—that’s what they sold us. But when I knocked on their doors, this is what happened:

• Receptionists wouldn’t share an email.

• Walk-ins were treated like garbage.

• The line I heard again and again: “People like you come daily.”

You know what? They’re right. People like me DO come daily. And that’s proof the industry is thriving, creators are hungry, and jobs are being created. But instead of welcoming this energy, OTT platforms are shutting the door in our faces.

Agents: The Middlemen Monopoly

Since direct pitches are impossible, I went through agents. They pitched my film to all major OTT platforms. The feedback?

• “The film is excellent.”

• “But all faces are new.”

• “Nobody will watch it.”

Translation: We don’t care how good the story is. We only care about who’s on the poster.

So let me ask the question no one wants to face:👉 Are new actors not human?👉 Is the definition of cinema only “famous faces”?👉 If nobody gives newcomers a chance, how will they ever become stars?

The hypocrisy is sickening.

The Ugly Truth

India celebrates cinema as its lifeline, but the lifeline is choked. If you’re not a celebrity, if you don’t have crores, you don’t exist.

Forget talent. Forget content. Forget passion.The only entry ticket is money and fame.

And if this continues, what’s the message we’re sending?

• New actors, don’t dream.

• Indie filmmakers, don’t bother.

• Audiences, keep watching the same recycled faces and remakes.

My Stand

I didn’t write this to cry foul or seek pity. I wrote this because someone needs to call out the system for what it is: a gatekeeping club that thrives on crushing new talent.

I believe in one thing:If the doors are closed, we’ll build new doors.If the platforms reject us, we’ll create our own.If the system doesn’t value new faces, then one day those very new faces will rise and break the system.

Cinema belongs to the people. Not to a handful of distributors. Not to OTT gatekeepers.

And until that truth becomes reality, every indie filmmaker and every struggling actor must remember this:We are enough. Our work is enough. Our time will come.

🔥 That’s the reality check. No filters. No excuses. Trailer of the Million Views - watch the performances of my new faces and decide yourself https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVTzl2aIsZc&t=3s