‘The Future of Cinema Is Beyond Male Lead or Female Lead’

As the countdown begins for Alia Bhatt and Sharvari Wagh’s high-octane thriller Alpha, Anil Kapoor believes the film could mark a turning point for Bollywood. The actor, whose character has been kept under wraps, says the film reflects a larger shift in the way audiences view leadership and heroism on screen.

“For the longest time, we’ve looked at cinema through labels — male lead, female lead, hero, heroine. But audiences have evolved, and so has storytelling. What excites me about films like this is that they challenge those old definitions. It’s about presence, conviction, courage and the ability to drive a story forward. That’s what audiences connect with today — main character energy, not categories.

“Cinema needs a larger shift in how we think about leadership and heroism on screen. Instead of asking whether a character is a male lead or a female lead, perhaps it’s time we simply ask: who is the Alpha? For Indian cinema, that’s a powerful and necessary reimagining, and I’m proud to be part of a film that embraces it.

“The future of cinema isn’t about changing who gets to lead. It’s about stopping the need to qualify leadership by gender in the first place.”

The actor, who believes in practising what he preaches, points to his daughters Sonam Kapoor and Rhea Kapoor as examples of this changing mindset. Sonam has championed unconventional roles in films like Neerja and Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga, while Rhea has backed boundary-pushing projects as a producer, including Khoobsurat, Veere Di Wedding and Thank You for Coming.

“As a father, I’ve had the privilege of watching both my daughters champion stories that push boundaries and challenge conventions. They’ve always believed in expanding what’s possible for women on screen, and I know they’re rooting for films like this that have the power to open up an entirely new chapter for action cinema,” Anil Kapoor says.