New Delhi, July 8 -- Actors primarily known for upmarket, slice-of-life urban-centric films are making a clear shift towards mass-market genres to appeal to a broader audience base as the movie business struggles to reclaim its pre-covid glory.

While Rajkummar Rao will be seen in a gangster role in Maalik, slated for release in July, Ayushmann Khurrana will feature in horror comedy Thama, a genre that is the flavour of the season after successes like Stree 2 and Bhool Bhulaiyaa. Both the actors are known for small-town comedies and films with social messaging such as Bala, Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui, Srikanth and Badhaai Do.

Trade experts say the actors have realised post-covid that there is a need to improve footfalls in single screen ci...