OPINION: Big Mysteries Of Bollywood, 3 Things I Learnt In 2023

People in India usually go to theaters to watch their favourite actors jump off the 25th floor of a bilding without a scratch or kill an army of bad boys and still manage to sing and dance with their lady love. While action sequences have been elevated with technology and VFX effects, overall demonstration remains similar to what it was 10 years back.

But what is noticeable is, storylines and creativity have taken a toll. Most action films are not only predictable but by far follow the same rules of Sholay - the legendary film where Jay and Veeru, the bad boys of 80's save Thakur and his village from notorious dacoits aka armed robbers.

Violence, War and Betrayal

Let's start with the recent success of 'Animal'. While several questions are raised about the intent of the director and critics across India have slammed the storyline citing 'Animal' celebrates toxic men, after 12 days in theaters, the movie has made Rs 458 cr only in India. That is massive.

Animal is all set to become the fourth Hindi film of 2023 to pass the Rs 500 cr mark, shortly after Pathaan, Gadar 2 and Jawan. Interestingly, all four movies show violence, war and acts of unkindness but surprisingly are hugely celebrated especially amongst younger movie goers. More the atrocity, higher the revenue - and apparently, that is the mantra for a box office success story of 2023.

Shah Rukh Khan's Pathaan and Jawan also were full of violence but the return of King Khan as an action hero overwhelmed the audience and these movies smashed all box office records within no time. The sequel to Gadar also did relatively very well and Bhaijaan starred in Tiger 3, which was one of the most awaited movies this year met fans' expectations.

But what are the expectations? If Tom Cruise can do it, so can SRK or Salman. Despite a weak storyline, below-average songs and sub-par acting, these moves have made millions. The moral of the story is to hire overly paid actors, remix a few old songs with beats and auto-tunes, show as many foreign locations as possible, a few intimate scenes and impossible stunts - there, you have a hit Bollywood cinema.

Strong Social Message But Poor Portrayal

Oh My God! Both these movies showcase a very strong social message. While the first one shows one should have faith, the second one tries to show that communication is the key, especially between children and parents. Both these films were not only critically acclaimed but also were commercially successful. OMG 2 was well scripted and Pankaj Tripathi, as usual, rocked the role of a middle-aged father who had trouble communicating with his son about his feelings, and thoughts.

Another one that was, well, criticised a lot was Thank you for coming! This Bhumi Pednekar movie lacked a portrayal of a clear message among other things. What the filmmakers are probably failing to realise is that Indian audiences have become smarter and exposure to OTT platforms with access to world movies has raised the standards higher than before.
Still, films like 12th Fail created an actual whiplash moment for many. The content is relatable and most characters are realistic. The Kerala Story is another such example.

History And Mythology

One of the biggest films of this year was Adipurush. While every attempt was made to recreate Ramayana of modern days, the film somehow failed to make an impact. Starting from dialogue delivery to VFX, almost everything was below average. Some even questioned the accuracy of the film. Sam Bahadur is another movie starring Vicky Kaushal which exploits India's most beloved war general, Sam Manekshaw, whose contribution has not been celebrated enough. The film also distressingly reminds us how the colonial power divided the best of gentlemen cadets based on religion. However, this Meghna Gulzar's film didn't do well at the box office and the screenplay was also boring.

The Bollywood film industry is primarily known for its entertainment value and cultural understanding, but it also reflects many facets of Indian society and teaches us about social issues, language and communication, family values, diversity in culture, fashion and lifestyle, history and traditions, celebration of festivals, globalisation, and modern India. Watching Bollywood films is a great way to spend your free time and stay entertained.