The Making of Modern Bollywood
This year has been remarkable so far at Bollywood. On my birthday in January, I watched Uri with my family, easily one of the best Bollywood films I have seen. Fortunately, it did not stop there. The industry continued to release films with fresh stories and biographical contexts. The Accidental Prime Minister, Article 15, Gully Boy, and the list goes on.
This trend is visible over the last few years and has really picked up in 2019. Here are some favorites:
- Uri, The Surgical Strike
- Manikarnika - The Queen of Jhansi
- Ek Ladki ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga
- Gully Boy
- Badla
- Kesari
- The Tashkent Files
- Article 15
- Super 30
- Batla House
- Mission Mangal
This is an unprecedented quantum of high-quality films in less than 8 months! What is intriguing about this is that many of the films became commercially successful. Filmmakers have taken risks in the past too but the way society is responding to Bollywood now is much different. 'Stardom' alone is not selling in the box office anymore. People are looking for authentic, new, and contextual cinema.
It is also a delight to see how some actors like Akshay Kumar (Mission Mangal, Pad Man), John Abraham (Batla House, RAW, Parmanu), Hritik Roshan (Super 30) are reinventing themselves towards a supposed fag end of their career.
This remarkable change testifies a larger shift happening in the Indian psyche. After centuries of invasion, oppression, and struggle, we have come out to be a self-reliant, stable, and powerful country. Bollywood is a reflection of this societal shift. I hope this continues.
Vice President R&D (Content&Curriculum) at S.K. Educations Pvt. Ltd., Delhi (For the Chain of Bachpan Play Schools &Academic Heights Public Schools)
5 年Truly a very lavish and wide spectrum of film spread that is presented to the audience's discerning palate. Uri, Manikarnika and Gully boy are my favs and every time I do something new and difficult, I am tempted to ask myself, "how's the Josh?". Very well articulated Sahil ji and it wouldn't be hyperbolic to say that Indian cine audience has matured and unka Dil maange more! The quality and variety of film themes in Indian cinema has come of age.
Design Leader | Dean and Professor | Visionary in Design Education | Fostering Creativity for Societal Impact
5 年Bollywood is now a global appellation . Viewers wants to see ‘today’s topic’ which they can relate to. Bollywood being a trendsetter is adding a lot of depth in changing the mindsets of society.