India, Jan. 14 -- Sonchiriya, the gritty Chambal-set drama that earned critical acclaim for its raw storytelling and performances, holds a special place in Abhishek Chaubey's filmography. However, the filmmaker believes that the film could not be made if it were conceived today. According to Abhishek, the ecosystem that once allowed films like Sonchiriya to exist, where actors took creative risks and audiences embraced alternative narratives, has completely vanished.

In an interview with Screen, Abhishek spoke about how Sonchiriya would fail to secure funding today and said, "Today, you would not get money for it at all. Even before the censors and all that, nobody would give you even Rs.10 to make it. It just wouldn't happen. Streaming ...