India, May 16 -- R icha Chadha attributes Bollywood's tough times to changing consumer patterns. The actor-producer, who is backing two projects that are set to go on floors in a couple of months, says, "The pandemic changed everything, including the way people consume content. Everyone was locked at home, was watching things at a different pace and was experimenting." As a producer, Richa has a strategy in place to overcome the difficult situation. "I want to tell stories that take risks, are interesting, and don't insult the audience's intelligence. When something is visible in your story, you don't need to spell it out. We have a diverse audience, and I trust them. We need to give them a well-made film that is well released too. That makes the difference, as distribution of a film is as important as the look of it," she says. Richa insists that while stories are important, focusing on storytellers and giving them enough space to do their job is necessary too. "The only way forward is to give freedom to filmmakers. Else, they won't be able to tell the stories they want to. I can't pretend to sit here and be like, 'I know better than you'. I've been in several rooms where the producer has sat on the edit, or someone has messed up the narrative." The 38-year-old adds, "If you don't give freedom to directors, they will play safe and take the easy route. It's important to remember that what's safe is often boring. That's happening in Hollywood too, with the big Marvel and superhero films. Who wants to watch four Spider-Man films? Or a rehash of an old story like Snow White? Itni saari cheezein jab dobaara banaate rehte ho, toh cinema kahin marr jaata hai."...