'Hero nahi hai aaj ki date mein': Sajid Khan says Bollywood has lost its real heroes, finds true heroism in the South

Time of India

10-05-2025

In a candid and animated chat on
Bharti TV
with
comedian Bharti Singh
and writer-host Haarsh Limbachiyaa, filmmaker
Sajid Khan
dropped a truth bomb that's got cinephiles and social media buzzing: Bollywood, he claims, no longer has heroes—just lead actors. With his signature wit and no-filter commentary, the director of hits like
Heyy Babyy
and
Housefull
offered a nostalgic yet piercing critique of the evolution—or perhaps dilution—of the Hindi film hero.
#Operation Sindoor
India-Pakistan Clash Live Updates| Pak moving troops to border areas? All that's happening
Why India chose to abstain instead of 'No Vote' against IMF billion-dollar funding to Pakistan
How Pak's jihadi general Munir became trapped in his own vice
'Heroism is extinct in Bollywood'
Sajid didn't mince words when comparing the golden age of cinema to the present. 'Hero nahi hai aaj ki date mein. Leads hain,' he asserted, drawing a clear distinction between the classic 'hero' and today's star. According to him, the term 'hero' in its true cinematic essence has all but disappeared from Bollywood, surviving only in the grand, morally upright, slow-mo-entry world of South Indian cinema.
His lament was not about acting skills or popularity, but about ethos. 'The concept of a hero only really remains in the South,' he said. 'That's why their entry is dhamakedaar. They can't take a wrong step on screen because they are heroes—heroes who represent society's hopes, not just its fantasies.' His point struck deeper when he remarked, 'That's why we've never heard the word 'super-lead', only 'superhero.''
Play Video
Pause
Skip Backward
Skip Forward
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
0:00
Loaded
:
0%
0:00
Stream Type
LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
1x
Playback Rate
Chapters
Chapters
Descriptions
descriptions off
, selected
Captions
captions settings
, opens captions settings dialog
captions off
, selected
Audio Track
default
, selected
Picture-in-Picture
Fullscreen
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text
Color
White
Black
Red
Green
Blue
Yellow
Magenta
Cyan
Opacity
Opaque
Semi-Transparent
Text Background
Color
Black
White
Red
Green
Blue
Yellow
Magenta
Cyan
Opacity
Opaque
Semi-Transparent
Transparent
Caption Area Background
Color
Black
White
Red
Green
Blue
Yellow
Magenta
Cyan
Opacity
Transparent
Semi-Transparent
Opaque
Font Size
50%
75%
100%
125%
150%
175%
200%
300%
400%
Text Edge Style
None
Raised
Depressed
Uniform
Drop shadow
Font Family
Proportional Sans-Serif
Monospace Sans-Serif
Proportional Serif
Monospace Serif
Casual
Script
Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values
Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Google Brain Co-Founder Andrew Ng, Recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Around
Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List
Undo
Of Angry Eyes and Six-Pack Abs
Turning the clock back, Sajid reflected on an era when Amitabh Bachchan's furrowed brow, Vinod Khanna's charismatic presence, and Dharmendra's righteous fury were enough to command a crowd's applause. 'Earlier heroes didn't need a good body,' he said. 'The action was in the eyes, not the thighs.'
He took a playful yet pointed dig at today's gym-obsessed generation of actors. 'Now it's mandatory to have six-packs,' Sajid quipped, recalling how Salman Khan had once stunned the industry with his chiseled look in
Maine Pyaar Kiya
. But for all the abs and aesthetic perfection, Sajid argued, what's truly missing is the
intensity
. 'Ranbir Kapoor's training for
Animal
was impressive, but even without the body, his eyes carried the role,' he said, making a case for emotional authenticity over physical optics.
You Might Also Like:
Actress Niharika Singh opens about her #MeToo experience with Sajid Khan, Nawazuddin
The Rise of the Southern Superstar
Sajid's praise for
Southern cinema
was as loud as his critique of Bollywood. He pointed out how South Indian heroes still uphold the old-school notion of righteousness and larger-than-life presence. Their roles demand not only charisma but also moral weight—traits that once defined Hindi film icons. 'There's a reason why their films have grand entries and deafening cheers,' he said. 'They're not just actors; they're cultural phenomena.'
Sunny Deol's Desi Muscle vs. Designer Bodies
In a final reflection on changing physical standards, Sajid offered a surprising nod to Sunny Deol's old-school appeal in
Gadar 2
. 'That's a desi body—not sculpted by protein shakes or luxury gyms, but strong, grounded, and real,' he noted. In contrast, he questioned whether Bollywood's current obsession with aesthetics might be overshadowing the raw emotional power that once defined its heroes.
Whether you see Sajid Khan's views as a much-needed reality check or a sentimental throwback to an era gone by, one thing's for sure: the lines between 'lead actor' and 'hero' have blurred—and maybe it's time for Bollywood to find its moral muscle again. Because as Sajid aptly put it, 'Anyone can do a film now, but not everyone can be a hero.'