Vishal Bhardwaj defends explicit violence in cinema: ‘Mahabharat ka jo violence hai wo unimaginable hai... humare DNA mein hai wo element’

At a time when films high on bloodshed are dominating the box office, Vishal Bhardwaj has made it clear that he has no issue with the growing explicitness of violence on screen.Speaking to ANI, the filmmaker said, “Normalise se zyada mujhe lag raha hai ki bahut explicit ho gaya hai violence, which is fine for me, personally. I very often say, ‘We are the race that is born out of the Mahabharat’. Aur Mahabharat ka jo violence hai wo unimaginable hai. Aur itna graphic hai violence of Mahabharat ki jiski koi hadh nahi hai. Jismein jo killings hain aur jis ras ke saath aur pyaar ke saath usko original Mahabharat mein depict kiya gaya hai. So we are born out of that... humare DNA mein hai wo violence ka element.” (More than being normalised, violence has become extremely explicit. Personally, I am fine with that. We are a civilisation born out of the Mahabharata, and its violence is unimaginable and graphic. That element of violence exists in our DNA.) His remarks come amid the success of violent, mass-driven films like Animal, Marco and Dhurandhar, which suggest that audiences are engaging with darker, more intense storytelling.Explaining his own cinematic lens, Vishal said violence must suit the world of the film. “Aur ek poetic violence ek cheez hoti hai. Jaise meri film mein bahut jagah references hain… Aur meri film (O Romeo) mein mere characters gangsters hain. They are not poets and not managers. So we have to show the violence. And if you are not talking in terms of the contemporary language of contemporary filmmaking, which is happening around you, then you start feeling dated. Par usmein aesthetics bhi rakhne ki zarurat hoti hai.” (There is something called poetic violence. In my film, there are many references like that. The characters in O Romeo are gangsters, not poets or managers, so violence has to be shown. But aesthetics are important.)He also referenced global filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino and Wong Kar-wai, who are known for their stylised portrayal of violence. Vishal maintained that cinema often mirrors reality. “Aur ek baat hai hamari society mein abhi jis tarah ka, jis level ka violence exist karta hai aur chal raha hai, toh usmein agar screen pe bhi dikh jaaye toh koi burai nahi hai. And it's an adult film (O Romeo).” (Given the kind and level of violence that exists in our society, there is nothing wrong if it is shown on screen. And O Romeo is an adult film.) Known for blending brutality with visual poetry in films like Maqbool and Haider, Vishal continues that signature approach in his latest release, O Romeo.O Romeo stars Shahid Kapoor and Triptii Dimri in lead roles. The Valentine’s Week release also features Disha Patani, Vikrant Massey, Tamannaah Bhatia, Farida Jalal, Nana Patekar, Avinash Tiwary, Aruna Irani, Hussain Dalal, Resh Lamba and Rahul Deshpande in pivotal roles.