Is the End Near for Bollywood? Heck No Way!

"The End Is Near"

Naysayers are having a field day spelling doom for Bollywood, the common nickname of the Hindi commercial film industry.

Take numbers - There have been hardly any massive hits or blockbusters last year from Bollywood. Top-rated superstars have seen their films crashing at the box office. Nothing seems to be working - neither big-budget blingy escapades, nor feel-good social dramas, romantic capers or senseless comedies that used to rake in the moolah in the past. 

The word-of-mouth and vibe is at an all-time low. So much so, superstars or mega stars have had to plead to people to not boycott their films. Bollywood biggies are approaching southern directors to endorse their films, or are tying up for joint ventures. 

Will remakes do the magic? Will super-hero movies - high on CGI effects, bring the audience back to the halls? Will war movies or patriotism or jingoism riddled stuff work? ---NAAH

Never before has the Hindi commercial film industry - one that has millions of lives dependent on it, faced such an existential crisis. Nothing seems to be working.

Now all hopes are pinned on Pathan and Tiger 3, but my guess is after the initial euphoria wears off, these will do averagely too.

So, what will work? Why is it that senseless, jingoism laden, high-octane masculine energy fuelled stuff works for South Indian movies, but not for Bollywood?

My 2-bits for introspection and rejuvenation:

• Today, people have plenty of options of entertainment now that the internet and OTT space has flooded us with exciting content. Who wants to pay 3-400 bucks to watch routine stuff in multiplexes where even a samosa costs over 100 bucks? And there is not guarantee that the whole effort will be worth it.
• South blockbusters work because people don't have high expectations from these. Any ingenuity or twist of plot receives delighted wonder from the audience. (Wow didn't expect this!)Also the elements of earthiness, melodrama, over-the-top dramatic elements satisfy the too-busy-to-apply-brains audience, fiddling with the mobile in the hall. 
  
  
  
• Attention spans are pathetic. A 10-sec reel or a 2-minute video seems like all that can hold people's eyeballs. How can a 2 hour film expect people to invest their time and attention in it? 
• Realism is a given shock is better, grunge is good, but you have to crack that formula of what exactly works.
• A strong story is a MUST. People are not willing to invest their time if you don't spin a great yarn.
• Cut out the frills and gimmicks, please. Foreign locations, item numbers, tracks featuring non-binary characters as side-kicks are passe. Even sex scenes or gory violence tracks fail because of overkill.

In the end, Bollywood films must give something that OTT platforms and over-the-top films don't give. Think back to Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Ramesh Sippy, Gulzar, Muzaffar Ali, Vidhu Vinod Chopra films. 

Bring that magic back...

#BollywoodCrisis #BollywoodExistentialDilemma #WhyBollywoodFilmsAreNotWorking