Haider Can’t Be Made Today: Casting Director Honey Trehan Slams Industry Censorship

So, I was just reading about this and honestly, it's pretty wild how much things have changed in the industry lately. Honey Trehan—who is a super well-known casting director and filmmaker (he did Raat Akeli Hai, if you haven't seen it, it's great)—recently did this interview where he got really honest about the struggle of getting certain movies greenlit today.

(Photo Credit: IMDb) "Haider Can’t Be Made Today"

Basically, he shared a story about a project he was trying to set up. He had a Muslim superstar who was totally onboard and ready to go, but the feedback he got from the "powers that be" or the financiers was super specific and, frankly, a bit depressing.

The "Protagonist" Mandate

Trehan recalled that even though the star was a huge draw, he was told that if he wanted the movie to move forward, the protagonist had to be Hindu.

It wasn't even about the actor's real-life religion, but the character's identity on screen. He felt like there’s this growing pressure to stick to a certain "safe" narrative. It’s like the industry is becoming hyper-aware of optics to the point where it’s stifling the actual story they want to tell.

"Haider" Couldn't Happen Today

The most striking part of his interview was when he brought up Haider (the Vishal Bhardwaj movie based on Hamlet, set in Kashmir).

Then: Back in 2014, Haider was a massive critical success and managed to tackle really sensitive political and religious themes.

Now: Trehan basically said that a movie like that cannot be made in today's climate.

Why? He thinks the level of scrutiny and the fear of controversy from studios and streamers is just too high now. Everyone is walking on eggshells.

Why this matters (in my humble opinion lol)

It’s kind of a bummer because some of the best Indian cinema has come from taking those risks. Trehan’s point was that if you start mandating the religion of a character just to avoid "trouble," you lose the soul of the story. He seems pretty frustrated that the creative process is being dictated by "data" or political comfort rather than the actual art.

I might have missed some of the finer details of which specific studio he was talking about (he kept it a bit vague to be professional, I think), but the message was loud and clear: creative freedom is feeling a bit cramped right now.