New Delhi, Jan. 26 -- Veteran Indian actor and filmmaker Prakash Raj sparked fresh debate within the film industry this weekend with a candid critique of mainstream Hindi cinema.

Speaking at the ongoing ninth edition of the Kerala Literature Festival (KLF) in Kozhikode, Raj expressed deep concerns over what he sees as a growing disconnect between Bollywood and its audiences, while praising the content and creative direction of Malayalam and Tamil films. His remarks have since become a topic of discussion among industry observers and fans alike.

Raj, who has worked extensively in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Kannada and Malayalam cinema, said he feels that mainstream Hindi films have "lost their roots" and increasingly focus on surface-level gl...