Rakesh Roshan Shares Why Krrish 4 Is Stuck in Limbo. Can Bollywood's Superhero Franchise Overcome Budget Struggles?

Filmmaker Rakesh Roshan, in a recent interview, spoke about Krrish 4 and admitted that mounting the film at the required scale has been a challenge. 

Rakesh Roshan, in a recent interview, spoke about Krrish 4 and admitted that mounting the film at the required scale has been a challenge. 

Source : Instagram/@rakesh_roshan9

The Krrish franchise remains one of the most celebrated superhero sagas in Indian cinema, with Hrithik Roshan leading the charge. Fans have been eagerly awaiting updates on 'Krrish 4', but recent comments from filmmaker Rakesh Roshan suggest that financial roadblocks are stalling its progress. In a conversation with Gaana, the veteran director and producer admitted that mounting the film at the required scale has been a challenge. 

Rakesh Roshan unable to manage to budget for Krrish 4

Rakesh Roshan acknowledged the long wait for the film but spoke about the difficulties in justifying the budget. “Kaafi saal se wait kar rahe hain lekin mera budgeting ho nahi raha hai. Picture ka scale bada hai. Scale chota karta hoon toh ek aam picture lagti hai (We have been waiting for many years, but I am unable to manage the budgeting. The scale of the film is grand. If I reduce the scale, it starts to look like an ordinary film),” he shared. 

The director highlighted that modern audiences, particularly younger viewers, have been exposed to high-quality superhero films from Hollywood, making them more critical of any perceived shortcomings. “The world has become smaller. Aaj kal ke jo bacche hain, voh superheroes ki pictures itni dekh chuke hain ki unhe thoda sa bhi kuch fault nazar aayega toh criticise karenge (Kids these days have watched so many superhero films that if they spot even the slightest flaw, they will criticise it).” 

Competing with Hollywood on a smaller budget 

The challenge, as Roshan explained, lies in creating a compelling superhero experience while working with significantly smaller budgets than Hollywood counterparts. “We have to be very careful. Aur hum uss paimaane (Marvel, DC) ki picture bana nahi sakte hain. Itne paise hote nahi hain humare paas. Our budget doesn’t allow us… Hume kahani pe zyada concentrate karna padta hai. Halaki bade bade sequences honge picture main par agar 10 nahi honge toh 2 honge ya 3 honge (We cannot make movies on the scale of Marvel or DC. We don't have that kind of money. Our budget doesn't allow us... We have to focus more on the story. Although there will be big sequences in the film, if there are not 10, there will be 2 or 3),” he stated. 

Previously, in an interview with India Today, Roshan elaborated on the financial constraints, noting that while 'Krrish 4' would be the grandest film in the franchise, the uncertainty surrounding theatrical footfall has made them cautious. “What is happening is that the audience is still not coming back to the theatres, so that is a big question mark for me. Krrish is going to be a big film. The world has become smaller and kids today are used to seeing Hollywood superhero films that are made on budgets of like 500-600 million dollars. Meanwhile, we have a small budget of Rs 200-300 crore in comparison.” 

Despite these concerns, Roshan reassured that 'Krrish 4' remains in the pipeline, though the team is taking its time to figure out the logistics. The Krrish franchise began with 'Koi Mil Gaya' in 2003, followed by 'Krrish' in 2006 and 'Krrish 3' in 2013.