Anupama Chopra wears her heart on her sleeve. One moment, she\u2019s raving about France\u2019s Oscar submission; the next, she\u2019s earnestly recommending her latest find\u2014a survival thriller about a killer chimpanzee. At The Leela Palace Bengaluru, we caught up with the beloved film critic, author, and editor of The Hollywood Reporter India, this time on the other side of the interview.<\/p>\n
Anupama Chopra Talks To Curly Tales<\/h2>\n
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Image Courtesy: Sanjana Shenoy<\/p>\n
How does it feel to be on the other side of the interview?<\/h3>\n
Always weird, but fun! Fun! Because this is not a formal thing, na. It\u2019s like a nice conversation.<\/p>\n
Take me through your book, Dining with Stars.<\/h3>\n
Dining with Stars (published by Bloomsbury) is a compilation of some of the best interviews my colleague, Sneha Menon Desai, and I conducted at Film Companion between 2014 and 2024. This book is a compilation of almost 50 interviews with varied artists.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s interesting to read the interviews (originally YouTube videos) placed against each other \u2014what Fahadh (Faasil) thinks in contrast to Hrithik (Roshan); or how Alia (Bhatt) feels vs Ratna Pathak Shah. It captures a time and place in the film industry.<\/p>\n
Why did you decide to close the curtain on Film Companion (FC) after 10 years? How difficult was it?<\/h3>\n
It was very difficult. Genuinely! Film Companion was a piece of my heart. We were part of this journey for 10 years and loved every bit of it.
I\u2019ve been reviewing films for over 30 years, and the only reason I continue to stay passionate and in love with my work is because I keep reinventing myself.<\/p>\n
After a decade, I realised we maxed out what FC could do. We needed more scale, backing, and the ability to do more \u2014 which wouldn\u2019t have been possible as Film Companion.<\/p>\n
But it is possible, as The Hollywood Reporter India.<\/p>\n
For the first time in my life, I\u2019m the editor of a print magazine, which is a huge learning curve.<\/p>\n
Which celebrities have you interviewed who\u2019ve expanded your understanding of filmmaking?<\/h3>\n
Kamal Haasan Sir. He is an institution of knowledge, of references. He just throws them: \u201cYou remember that French film?\u201d Absolutely fascinating to learn from!<\/p>\n
Even directors like Anurag Kashyap. He\u2019ll share five things from five movies you\u2019ve not watched, because he has consumed more movies than anyone else. You\u2019ll return learning something new.<\/p>\n
As Curly Tales is a food and travel platform, what are your favourite food films?<\/h3>\n
The Lunchbox is my all-time favourite food film. Also, The Taste of Things, the French Oscar submission of 2024.<\/p>\n
Ratatouille. My laptop screensaver is of Anton Ego, the food critic from Ratatouille. Because he said: \u201cFinally, a critic\u2019s not that much, right?\u201d<\/p>\n
For me, this film has been a life-changer.<\/p>\n
I live by Anton Ego\u2019s, \u201cI don\u2019t like food, I love it. If I don\u2019t love it, I don\u2019t swallow.\u201d<\/p>\n
Which films inspired you to travel?<\/h3>\n
Movies shape our desire to travel, especially in India. Starting with DDLJ<\/a> (Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge), we all wanted to be on that Eurail and travel to Switzerland, which I did. I went to Switzerland for my honeymoon.<\/p>\n Not really! My husband (Vidhu Vinod Chopra) is not a (DDLJ) fan, but he loves the mountains. However, my fascination for Switzerland<\/a> came from Yashji\u2019s (Yash Chopra) films. So, it was the Yash Chopra-cinema-influence that led me to love Switzerland.<\/p>\n And then of course, I wanted to go (though I still haven\u2019t gone) to Corsica after watching Tamasha<\/a>; Spain, after ZNMD<\/a> (Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara); and Mykonos thanks to a Shah Rukh Khan-Rani Mukerji song from Chalte Chalte.<\/p>\n In my opinion, casting has got way better because of casting agents like Mukesh Chhabra, Nandini Shrikent, Shruti Mahajan, Tess Joseph and many others.<\/p>\n One of the things I admired about Dhurandhar <\/a>was its casting. The casting was fantastic!<\/p>\n My personal thesis is that maybe there\u2019s too much vanity now. When you are coming from a place of vanity, you can\u2019t be in love with someone else.<\/p>\n So, I feel that actors need to give a little more of themselves in romantic situations on-screen. It has to be \u201cI love you,\u201d and that\u2019s where you\u2019ll get those crackling chemistries, like Kajol\u2013Shah Rukh or Ranbir\u2013Deepika. That\u2019s the Instagram aesthetic! Of course, we\u2019re here to look at pretty people and want pretty costumes. But I feel a little jhalapan (messiness) is needed. It\u2019s attractive! Like Kajol<\/a> in DDLJ.<\/p>\n Perfection is not fun. And it\u2019s not relatable. Such kinds of aesthetics might be aspirational, and certain movies need it like K3G (Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham), where you\u2019re aspiring to be a Raichand.<\/p>\n What\u2019s missing is those girl-next-door vibes.<\/p>\n I feel Rashmika Mandanna<\/a> is one of those actors who feels like she\u2019s one of us. I really liked her in The Girlfriend.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve all been ruined by Instagram; it\u2019s all about projecting perfection.<\/p>\n I understand, you have to watch what you like. It takes a lot of effort to watch a film in the theatre: money and time, which is irreplaceable.<\/p>\n Today, it\u2019s \u201cGo big or go home!\u201d<\/p>\n There\u2019s no middle ground!<\/p>\n Films of \u20b930-\u20b940 crore budgets have vanished from theatres. Filmmakers and producers aren\u2019t making them anymore because they are scared.<\/p>\n Theatrical films have to be massive, which is a shame!<\/p>\n I urge the audience to give smaller films the initial support in theatres. For every four spectacle films, watch one alag (different) film in the theatre.<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to expand your aesthetic palate. Even the audience has to evolve for the industry to evolve. Thanks to streaming, we\u2019ve all evolved, but we need to be a little more intentional, especially in theatres.<\/p>\n A couple of years ago, Jeff Bezos came to India for an Amazon event. This was pre-Jawan and pre-Pathaan.<\/p>\n Jeff was on the stage with Shah Rukh and Zoya (Akhtar).<\/p>\n And at one point of this interaction, Shah Rukh poured water for Jeff, who said, \u201cMy God! You\u2019re a superstar, and you\u2019re pouring water for me. You are so humble!\u201d<\/p>\n Pat came the reply from Shah Rukh Khan, \u201cIt\u2019s only cause my last few films have flopped.\u201d<\/p>\n No other actor would say that. I just love it!Because of DDLJ?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Have you noticed a gap in casting lately, especially in romcoms, where there\u2019s often a lack of chemistry between the leads?<\/h3>\n
It can\u2019t just be about, \u201cHow am I looking? Am I catching the light? Is my face more interesting than the other person\u2019s?\u201d<\/p>\n
At least you have to believe they are in love!<\/p>\nDo you feel the aesthetics in films recently are too perfect, that they could be impairing storytelling?<\/h3>\n
What\u2019s your take on the theatrical scene lately, where event films dominate, and mid-budget releases struggle to pull audiences?<\/h3>\n
You\u2019re a self-proclaimed Shah Rukh Khan fan, so do share a memorable SRK anecdote.<\/h3>\n
It was so funny and fabulous!<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/curlytales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/srk.jpg\"\/)
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Image Courtesy: YouTube\/Amazon Prime Video India (Screengrab)<\/p>\n