A welcome dose of realism in Hindi Mainstream Cinema

Bollywood seems to have woken up and smelt the coffee....of late, its movie offerings have become more realistic, authentic and grounded. They have actually begun to make a lot of sense! You don't have to leave your brains at home, and the take-away from Hindi movies can actually be very positive.

Recent Hindi films like Queen, Neerja, Nil Batte Sannata, Dear Zindagi, Jolly LLB are quite engaging while being firmly rooted in reality. Sentimentalism and maudlin melodrama are kept firmly in check, and larger than life heroes without any flaw do not emerge to solve all problems. The ultimate is of course Dangal, which is actually a slice of life story, based on the struggles of the Phogat sisters. Kahani 2 and Akira have raised pertinent social issues as well.

What is even more heartening, is the involvement of top stars and the backing of big production houses in these projects. Stars like Aamir Khan have always been involved in backing socially responsible films like Taare Zameen Par and Rang De Basanti. Of late, more Bollywood A-listers like Shahrukh Khan and Akshay Kumar, Kangana Ranaut, Sonam Kapoor and Alia Bhatt, have put their muscle and acting prowess behind these slice of life films. Even a Dharma Productions chooses to back Dear Zindagi and Kapoor and Sons. Small realistic films can certainly do with such support.

Let's hope this movement towards realism gains momentum, and stems the tide towards fantasy and larger than life melodrama that had become the cornerstone of Bollywood mainstream cinema. Hindi cinema can regain its former glory and social relevance if responsible directors and stars keep this up. ☺☝

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