New Frontiers Demand New Mindsets

By Pickle October 11, 2025

Siddharth Roy Kapur

As the curtain closes on one era and another begins to take shape, Siddharth Roy Kapur’s message is clear: Embrace the unknown, keep creating, and trust that great stories will always find their way

When Siddharth Roy Kapur, Founder and Managing Director of Roy Kapur Films, took the stage at the 25th FICCI FRAMES in Mumbai, he did something unexpected. Instead of diving straight into the popular topics of platform shifts and new creative frontiers, he invited his audience to take a step back. To look not just at the next quarter or year, but at the broader horizon.

“We don’t often get the chance to zoom out and look at things from a longer-term perspective,” he said, opening his keynote address with a call for reflection amidst what he described as “uncharted waters.”

“The very topic gives you a sense that there’s a little bit of a sense in our industry… that we’re in uncharted waters. Platforms are changing. The distribution models are changing. The audience is changing. This new technology—AI—is coming in, which we now know that we are not going to be fully capable of handling and having enough control. It will grow in ways that we have no idea about.”

Siddharth Roy Kapur, known for backing some of India’s most celebrated films, acknowledged the palpable sense of flux running through the industry. Borrowing a framework from an unlikely source, former US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Siddharth Roy Kapur divided the challenges ahead into “known knowns, known unknowns, and unknown unknowns.” It is, he said, the last category—the surprises we can’t possibly anticipate—that have always shaped the fate of countries and industries alike.

Yet, even in times of flux, some things are certain. Siddharth Roy Kapur pointed out that digital has become central to the way Indians consume content. The AVOD model, where advertising revenue drives the industry, has become the norm here, in sharp contrast to the subscription-first approach of many Western markets.

As digital leaps forward, so too does regionalization, with powerful creative and business ecosystems thriving not just in the South, but across India’s varied linguistic and cultural landscape. Each region has found its own unique voice, even as global giants test their reach across state and language lines.

We are living through platform shifts and technological leaps, but I believe authenticity and originality will always set us apart in a crowded digital world

“Today, at least in India, you’ve got very, very strong regional markets that have business models unto themselves, a creative ecosystem that is completely unique to them… despite the fact that now you’ve got large global players coming in,” he explained.

The digital revolution has brought with it a new reality: audiences are now fragmented, living inside their own algorithm-driven echo chambers. “We are all living in parallel content universes,” Siddharth Roy Kapur mused, noting how even close friends will have wildly different social media feeds, each tailored by invisible hands to their unique preferences. This hyper-personalization means that content creators can no longer rely on one-size-fits-all formulas.

Despite predictions of its demise, the theatrical experience has proven resilient. Recent blockbusters and even foreign hits have brought audiences back to cinemas, reminding the industry that when the story is strong—and the experience is unique—audiences are willing to pay for it. Streaming, meanwhile, has become dominant on a global scale, even as Indian viewers continue to split their time between OTT and traditional TV in a hybrid viewing model.

But even as screens multiply, people crave live, communal experiences more than ever. Concerts, plays, and sporting events are booming, driven by a desire for genuine human connection in an increasingly digital world. Ironically, as content becomes more abundant and accessible, it is also more disposable. “We flirt with content now,” Siddharth Roy Kapur said, “rarely committing, always ready to move on to the next thing.” This devaluation challenges creators to make each release truly stand out.

Global crossovers are at an all-time high, with international sensations like “Squid Game” and “Parasite” breaking barriers and inspiring hope that Indian stories too will soon find massive global audiences. At the same time, industry consolidation means that a shrinking number of companies control access to audiences, even as millions of individuals find their voice as content creators on platforms like YouTube and Instagram.

And if there’s one new rule, it’s that creators must tread carefully. Political and cultural sensitivities are heightened, with scrutiny coming from all directions. The industry must be more aware and considerate than ever before.

Nobody really knows what tomorrow holds. That’s why I encourage creators to innovate fearlessly and keep the audience at the heart of everything we do

Yet, for all that we know, there’s even more we don’t. The advance of artificial intelligence is certain, but the ways in which it will change content creation—and how audiences will respond—remain unknown. Will viewers value authenticity over machine-made perfection? Will governments step in with regulations that have real teeth, or has the moment for meaningful intervention already passed? Questions about which formats will survive, whether Indian viewers will start paying for content, and how much the eSports market will grow are all up in the air. And what of the future role of India and other emerging markets as creative powerhouses on the global stage?

Then, there are the true unknowns—the possibilities we haven’t even imagined yet. Streaming itself was unthinkable just a decade ago; what if the next transformation is something even more radical, like neural or sensory storytelling? Could there be a backlash against technology, a sudden craving for the real and the tangible, or a collapse of platforms that seem unassailable today?

Faced with such uncertainty, Siddharth Roy Kapur offered grounded advice. The industry, he argued, must double down on what it does best: telling great stories, regardless of the format. Quality content, he insisted, is the common thread that unites viral hits across media. Rather than fearing AI, creators should find ways to use it to their advantage—cutting costs, improving efficiency, but never sacrificing authenticity. Where regulation is lacking, self-regulation must fill the gap. Building a deeper understanding of audiences—who are no longer monolithic groups but collections of micro-cultures—is essential. And as technology advances, protecting intellectual property becomes more important than ever. In closing, Siddharth Roy Kapur invoked the wisdom of legendary screenwriter William Goldman: “Nobody really knows anything.” In a world of shifting ground and constant change, humility and adaptability are perhaps the industry’s greatest strengths. If creators focus on what they do best, audiences will follow.