Features
oi-Gayatri Adiraju
Bollywood
witnessed
a
downward
slope
this
year
with
big
budget
films
lacking
the
power
punch
to
attract
audience
to
the
theaters.
Leaving
a
few,
such
as
Bhool
Bhulaiya
2,
Gangubai
Khatwiawadi,
and
The
Kashmir
Files,
the
majority
of
Hindi
films
in
2022
have
bit
the
dust.
Tall
promises,
lustrous
sets,
countless
interviews,
and
promotions
did
not
help
to
pick
up
the
sales
of
tickets
at
the
box-office.
As
Hindi
movies
lagged
behind
regional
cinema
in
leaving
a
mark
on
the
audience’s
mind,
Bollywood
also
suffered
due
to
a
massive
boycott
trend
against
the
industry
that
began
almost
immediately
after
a
film’s
announcement.
Despite
being
at
the
forefront
of
filmmaking
in
India,
Bollywood
is
struggling
to
convince
the
audience
to
trust
them
with
their
time
and
money.
Dubbed
versions
of
regional
films
like
RRR,
Kantara,
and
KGF
2
performed
exceptionally
well
in
the
theaters.
So,
what
could
be
missing
from
Bollywood
that
is
causing
the
downfall
of
India’s
biggest
film
industry?
BAD
SEQUELS
While
everyone
eagerly
looks
forward
to
the
sequel
of
their
favourite
movie,
a
half-heartedly
made
and
unnecessary
sequel
becomes
an
issue.
The
best
example
of
this
is
Ek
Villain
Returns.
There
have
been
several
examples
in
the
past
where
popular
sequels
failed
to
make
an
impact
on
the
audience
due
to
their
poorly
written
scripts,
the
inclusion
of
new
characters,
and
the
complexity
of
the
entire
plot
(e.g.,
Grand
Masti,
Total
Dhamaal,
Dedh
Ishqiya,
Race,
etc.).
ALL
SHOW
NO
SUBSTANCE
Nothing
can
compensate
for
good
content!
Lavish
sets,
foreign
locations,
bigshot
stars,
dance
numbers,
and
a
great
marketing
strategy-even
all
these
things
cannot
save
a
film
if
it
lacks
good
and
gripping
content.
For
instance,
the
makers
of
Vijay
Devarakonda’s
Liger
did
influencer
collabs
and
extensive
promotions
across
the
country,
but
the
film
tanked
miserably
at
the
box-office.
Promotions
can
definitely
help
take
people
to
the
cinema
in
the
first
weekend
of
its
release,
but
they
can
only
survive
if
the
content
is
good.
Hence,
poorly
written
plots
and
uninteresting
picturization
are
pushing
the
audience
to
explore
regional
cinema.
WRONG
CASTING
Casting
the
right
actors
plays
an
important
role,
as
performing
that
particular
character
depends
on
the
credibility
of
the
actor.
Star
value
would
not
always
help
the
movie
to
fetch
the
audience
to
the
theatres.
Akshay
Kumar,
who
played
the
titular
role
in
Samrat
Prithviraj,
turned
out
to
be
the
biggest
dud
at
the
box
office.
Many
felt
Akshay’s
casting
for
a
historic
character
was
a
totally
wrong
decision.
On
the
other
hand,
the
makers
claimed
to
have
done
extensive
research
for
the
film,
which
didn’t
reflect
on
the
screen.
The
same
thing
was
also
said
about
Alia
Bhatt’s
casting
in
Brahmastra,
as
many
believed
that
the
film
could
have
done
without
her
character.
REMAKES
The
tried-and-true
formula
of
making
money
by
ripping
off
the
original
story
might
be
a
smart
choice,
but
it
doesn’t
always
work.
With
the
emerging
popularity
of
OTT
platforms,
we
already
have
access
to
the
original
movie,
making
the
audience
less
interested
in
the
remade
one
as
there’s
nothing
impressive
in
the
film.
Therefore,
it
fails
to
create
a
solid
impact
on
the
audience,
as
remakes
are
generally
forgettable.
PREACHY
STORIES
Films
are
made
for
entertainment
and
to
break
away
from
the
norm.
Though
we
also
need
socially
driven
dramas
as
well,
but
too
much
prechy
dialogues
and
morality
induced
scenes,
too
many
emotional
plots
may
not
be
something
that
the
audience
would
like
to
invest
time
in.
Akshay
Kumar’s
Raksha
Bandhan
and
Jugjugg
Jeyo
are
good
examples
of
how
too
much
family
drama
feels
overburdening
to
watch
on
screen.
LOSS
OF
TOUCH
WITH
THE
MASSES
AND
AUTHENTICITY
South
Indian
films
have
gained
popularity
among
audiences
because
they
remain
connected
to
their
fans
and
the
masses.
They
are
committed
to
their
originality
and
authenticity,
whereas
Bollywood
has
lost
touch
with
its
audiences.
For
example,
a
film
like
Gehraiyaan
or
Dil
Dhadakne
Do
may
have
a
brilliant
script
and
performances,
but
it
won’t
connect
with
the
people
from
middle-
or
lower-class
backgrounds
who
make
up
the
majority
of
the
Indian
population.
But
a
story
like
Pushpa
and
KGF
is
universal;
it
resonated
with
people
because
they
could
feel
the
same
pain
and
suffering
as
the
hero.
Too
much
stylish
scripting,
english
dialogues,
and
the
race
to
ape
Hollywood
have
killed
Bollywood’s
natural
feel.
Glamour
and
the
absence
of
local
attributes
have
made
Bollywood
forget
its
roots.
