Doom and Gloom for Bollywood

Reuters reports that Hindi films have performed poorly at the box office this year, and testimony to this fact is that 20 of the 26 movies released is being declared flops. According to a few financial reports, revenues from Bollywood movies were expected to fall drastically from July to September this year compared to the same period last year. The majority of Bollywood films that have been released in theatres so far, haven't performed admirably well.?

Let's see some of the reasons as to why it is doom and gloom for Bollywood?

Lack of strong Content and Storylines

Big stars no longer attract audiences to cinemas. It shows how audience perception of entertainment is changing and what is to be expected of cinema right now.

Bollywood fans want to see their favourite movie stars appear in good movies with well-written scripts, and they are quick to reject movies that lack good content.

A big star is no longer a draw to the cinemas, and this is a big wake up call to all the movie makers to focus on good story telling to regain the prime which Bollywood is known for.

Stars are losing their stardom.

There used to be a significant fan base for celebrities in cinema theaters, but it is no longer the case that fans can only see their favourite stars in cinemas.

It feels like many stars and other actors have started to lose the stardom by appearing in too many advertisements or endorsing too many brands which are not relevant to them. Star power has been diminished as a result of these aspects.?

It would be sensible if stars associate with brands and product endorsements which is true to their character and style so that it creates an aspirational value for their fans to look forward to.?

The Movie Economy

Producers are shelling out huge amount of payouts for the so called blockbuster movies with all A-lister stars and star cast assuming they have hit a home run by leaving the storyline at a back seat, whereas the focus should have been in promoting good content and spending the budgets wisely. Because when the movie fails at the box office it leaves behind a huge financial dent and the investor confidence is at a standstill. ?

It is time the movie makers focus on giving opportunities to new talents and making low budget movies which gives them a better hand in experimenting and taking risks with new scripts.?

As a result, creating a win-win situation for the audience and as well as the producers with lot more variety of films.

Change is the Future

Bollywood movie fans' preferences have evolved so much that they have huge expectations from the movies they watch.?And with the rise of OTT post pandemic it is evident that not one size fits all. The movie makers including producers, directors, writers and actors need to understand that the audience is exposed to a wide variety of content already, so it is important that they understand this and make movies according to the audience tastes and preferences

Bollywood as an industry, should start prioritizing storylines relevant to the current trends and people, and that could majorly contribute towards their success.

In conclusion, it would be fair to say that Bollywood could embrace change by meeting the Indian audience's needs and expectations in taking risks, experimenting with cinema and thinking outside the box.