Abhishek Chaubey’s Sonchiriya remains a defining western of our times, a film that explores themes of salvation and righteousness, while subverting expectations. Yet, Chaubey now believes the film could not be made in today’s cinematic landscape. In an exclusive conversation with SCREEN, he explained how, in the current climate, “nobody will even give 10 rupees to make it” and, if it were made, it likely wouldn’t pass the censors. “Today, you would not get money for it at all. Even before the censors and all that, nobody would give you even Rs 10 to make it. It just wouldn’t happen.” Asked if a streaming platform might back a film like Sonchiriya, Chaubey was blunt: “No, streaming would be worse. It would not be funded at all. No way.” Co-writer Sudip Sharma, known for creating shows like Paatal Lok and Kohrra, added, “And even if it somehow got funded and made, it wouldn’t clear the censor boards. And nobody would come to see it in theatres.” Abhishek Chaubey argues that even streaming platforms will not back …