India, Aug. 7 -- The last few years have seen Indian films travel across borders to be feted at various film festivals and award shows around the world, and in some cases, even break the bank at foreign box offices beyond the diaspora. Be it mainstream offerings like RRR or Kill, or independent films like All We Imagine as Light or Songs of Forgotten Trees, Indian films are winning hearts worldwide. Actor Pankaj Tripathi, who has seen his fair share of cinema over the years, believes this shift is because of Indian writers and filmmakers returning to their roots.

In a candid chat with Hindustan Times, the actor reflects on how Indian cinema is going back to its core strength of focusing on what is local and cultural, something that Weste...