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' The Kerala Story ' director Sudipto Sen has revealed why he deliberately chooses not to work with big Bollywood names like Akshay Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan . In a candid interview, Sen said he values creative freedom over star power and believes big stars turn directors into passengers on their own sets.

Sudipto Sen talks about why he avoids big stars in his moviesSpeaking to Free Press Journal, when Sudipto Sen was asked about why he steers clear of A-listers, the filmmaker was refreshingly honest. "The thing is I am a confident person, but I am not overconfident," he said, explaining that while he can fully own his own film, he cannot handle the pressure that comes with making someone else's.

According to him, big stars shift the entire creative axis of a project.

He further added, "When big star comes, your responsibility is to make his film. You make Akshay Kumar's film, you make Shah Rukh Khan's film." He added that under such circumstances, "directors are not allowed to be directors" — a creative compromise he is unwilling to make.

His conclusion was, "I rather concentrate on my art, I rather concentrate on my story to make my film rather than making film for somebody else."

Sudipto Sen says he knew 'The Kerala Story' would be a big hitIn the same conversation, Sudipto Sen said he was confident about 'The Kerala Story's commercial potential from the start, predicting it would cross Rs 200 crore at the box office. Despite this belief, he was equally firm about keeping it a small, story-driven film. "I was very sure that I am not going to work with big stars," he said, adding that he did not want the film to carry the "tag of a big film."

More about Sudipto SenSudipto Sen is an Indian filmmaker known for socially and politically charged stories. He has directed films including 'The Last Monk', 'Lucknow Times', and 'Yeh Suhaagraat Impossible'. He rose to national prominence with the 2023 blockbuster 'The Kerala Story', which he both wrote and directed, though he was not involved in its sequel.