Director Arati Kadav on attempting to make mainstream Sci-Fi films in Bollywood

She began with boundless energy and optimism, but director Arati Kadav — known for one of 2025’s most-discussed films Mrs — is now weary of an industry she says is risk-averse. Her dream? To make a big, mainstream sci-fi film. After Cargo (2019) starring Vikrant Massey and Shweta Tripathi, she followed it up with the award-winning short The Astronaut and His Parrot (2022) with Ali Fazal. In 2023, she began her third sci-fi feature, only to watch it stuck in limbo. Having invested years and even relinquished intellectual property, Kadav declared in a tweet: “I have decided I will never write sci-fi for any Indian producer anymore.”

Speaking to mid-day, she explains why: “I want to make a big mainstream sci-fi film, a blockbuster that everyone can watch. A film my parents would be proud of, kids would be fascinated by, young people would say ‘wow, that’s cool’. Every time I get close, something derails it. It’s defeating when your work sits in limbo.”

A still from ‘The Astronaut and His Parrot’; (right) A still from ‘Cargo’

Kadav says production houses lack the structural capability to support sci-fi. She argues that they favour ideas that appear “safe on paper”, forcing her to repeatedly justify her vision without results. “I have to constantly explain, justify, listen to feedback, and argue my point [of view]. But they still don’t get it. I believe you can make a good mainstream, funny, and accessible science fiction movie. But something happens and it just doesn’t come alive. Everybody just wants to rehash what’s been done. It’s content-pipeline madness. They care only about what looks safe on paper.” It has sometimes led her to fund her own projects.

Though the success of Mrs brought her recognition, she says even streamers have narrowed their vision. “There was hope OTTs would broaden the landscape. But they haven’t delivered. Yes, there’s a slightly wider set of stories being told, but it’s not as wide as we thought. Good science fiction needs decent budgets. It can’t be done by individuals alone. And I am exhausted,” she concludes.

The recognition

2019
‘Cargo’ premièred at the Mumbai Film Festival (MAMI) in 2019. It was hailed as India’s first space-set indie sci-fi feature. Arati Kadav earned the trailblazer tag in indie circles.

2022
‘The Astronaut and His Parrot’ was screened at Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, Busan International Short Film Festival, and Tampere Film Festival, among others.