Veteran actress-filmmaker Aparna Sen has indicated she may step away from filmmaking, citing concerns over dwindling audiences.

Sen, known for acclaimed films such as 36 Chowringhee Lane, Mr. and Mrs. Iyer and Paramitar Ekdin, made the remarks during a conversation on the podcast Straight Up With Shree.

Reflecting on the current state of the industry, the 80-year-old said, “The things that they are doing to a moribund industry already… and if there is this kind of control then it is very hard for the industry to survive”.

“The TV industry might survive but television is not the best thing in the world. It employs a lot of people and I am happy that they are getting but it is ruining the taste of the audience. What are we making films for? Who is my audience? Everyone is watching TV, watching serials. That is why I am not interested in making films anymore. Who will watch? What is the point,” she added.

Sen also described her Hindi film outings as ‘thundering flops’, attributing them to poor choices driven in part by financial needs. “I was asked and I did it. The money was tempting. I think I needed the money for something or the other and unfortunately the choices that I made were very wrong”.

“The choices in Bengal were very well-made but for Hindi films it was not well made. The films which I didn't make which I feel that I should have done… one was Ankur,” she said, referring to Shyam Benegal’s debut feature.

Recalling her decision to turn down the role that eventually went to Shabana Azmi, Sen said, “He sent me a synopsis and it was written that she [the protagonist] would be speaking in Hindi with a dialect with spatterings of Telugu. I thought this is so far away and I was going to be the household help. This is not something I felt confident about. This was Shyam's first film and he asked a lot of people and had been turned down being a newcomer. I told that I loved the synopsis and story, but I don't think I will do it”.

“He said, ‘Okay, fine. You just sent me the synopsis [back].’ He must have felt bad, but if he had said, 'Why'?' then I would have confided that I feel under-confident and he would have reassured me. But thank goodness that did not happen because Shabana [Azmi] was so good! We got an actress of Shabana's calibre,” Sen said.

The filmmaker said she is uncertain about the theatrical release of her last directorial venture, The Rapist, adding that even streaming platforms are increasingly favouring lighter content. “I am not going to make any more films probably. For whom shall I make? Who is going to watch? I know that there is a niche audience but that is it. I might have things to say, but who will listen?” she said.

Written and directed by Sen, The Rapist premiered at the Busan International Film Festival, where it won the Kim Jiseok award. The film stars Konkona Sensharma, Arjun Rampal and Tanmay Dhanania.

Sen began her acting career with Satyajit Ray’s Teen Kanya. She made her directorial debut with 36 Chowringhee Lane (1981), which won her the National Award for Best Director. She will next be seen in her daughter Konkona’s web series Welcome to Khoya Mahal, set to stream on Amazon Prime Video.