The Chain Of Bollywood Fiasco: It’s High Time For The Industry To Level Up

With a few exceptions on the list of flop movies in 2022, why is Bollywood unable to raise the level?

As we begin the eighth month of 2022, Bollywood hasn’t exactly had the best of times. It appears that the pandemic is no longer a problem and that audiences are staying away from theatres in record numbers due to disappointing content like never before. After dismissal performances by some films back-to-back, the chain of flops in the Hindi film industry has become a major concern.

Over the years, many films have made their special place in the hearts of the audience. While some of them left a huge impact and stayed with the viewers, others simply were not capable enough to impress the crowd. However, the Hindi entertainment industry in the past few months has experienced a colossal of flops and the audience has been expressive about it. Movies like – Hit: The First Case, Rashtra Kavach Om, Shabaash Mithu, Samrat Prithviraj, Dhaakad, and Jayeshbhai Jordaar were not able to impress the audience due to which, the viewers and critics were expecting the much-awaited movies like Jug Jug Jeeyo and Shamshera to be the knight in shining armor for the dry phase of Bollywood but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

The canceled shows of Shamshera indicate that the industry needs to step up the game.  

While Jug Jug Jeeyo earned some considerably good numbers, the reviews of the movie are not very satisfying. On the other hand, the period drama ‘Shamshera’ produced under the prestigious banner of Yash Raj Films, has shocked people with not just the script, but also the numbers. A movie that brought Ranbir Kapoor on screen after four years, was able to grab people’s attention with his charismatic presence but wasn’t enough to hold their attention with its terrible script. Shamshera, a movie that was made at a 250-crore budget, saw cancelations of many shows across the country, and the digits were the bare minimum for a Ranbir Kapoor starrer.

The series of flop Bollywood movies is a clear signal that it is not the star-cast of the movie but the disappointing content.

The rash of unsuccessful Bollywood films in a single year—with exceptions made by RRR, Sooryavanshi, and Bhool Bhulaiya 2—indicates that the film’s weak plot is what’s really keeping audiences away from theatres, not its star-studded ensemble. It’s time for the filmmakers to realize that an interesting plot and accessible material are what drive audiences to theatres rather than a star-studded cast. The film business doesn’t only involve the makers of the film, but also theatres which are now facing utter silence in terms of money.

People have started comparing the Hindi film industry to the South entertainment industry, as the rating for south movies keeps on increasing. 

Post-pandemic, the taste of the audience might have changed, but several other factors are responsible for the Hindi movies not succeeding. Comparison to the South entertainment industry and accessibility to the OTT platforms are the major ones. While many Bollywood stars have confessed that the direct comparison to Tollywood means the makers in Bollywood need to level up with their content game, on the other hand with the OTT platforms available, people have become reluctant of spending their money on a theatre experience when they know they can access it at their comfort after 4-weeks. The issue has caused the Bollywood business as a whole, as well as theatre owners, to worry about coming up with content that will gain their appreciation and engagement because clearly, it is not about the choice of actors anymore, but about the good scripts that the actors choose to work upon.