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Bollywood has lost over 100 CR this year, and the year is not even done. Basically, its a repeat of last year, but at an even greater level. Its pretty obvious now that it is at a crossroads: sooner or later, things will have to change; or else Bollywood will be blown away.
The question is what direction do you think it is/will head? The only hits of this year were Devdas, Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam, and Raaz. Oddly, all three were of a different genre, which echoes my point about the direction being changed.
From the movies that will release later on this year, none look like they have the slightest chance of being a hit. Kaante, the only movie that showed hope, has been continuously delayed, and all hype for it evaporates each and every day. The recent news about the pirates only increases my notion that it will be dead from the get go.
According to me, Bollywood basically can go a couple of ways: either big-budget melodrama, big-budget romance, big-budget family, low-budget hollywood rip-off, or the ubiqtuous miscellanious category. While some may argue that the so-called "movies" such as The Legend of Bhagat Singh form a category of their own, such as documentary, I would disagree, and instead put them in the miscellanious category. More on that later.
Looking at the styles in detail:
1) Are period films the way of the future? Never. What Bollywood fails to understand is that one successful film does not guarantee the success of the inncessant cop-cats that follow! Did the success of Raaz guarantee that Gunaah would be a success? Apparently, the producers believed so, at their misfortune. The success of Gadar, and to a certain extent, Lagaan, last year, made people make expensive turkeys like TLOBS and Shaheed.
2) Will movies now go the big-budget Devdas way? I doubt it. Devdas has become a standard for movies; by which they are measured. Movies like Devdas are made occasionally; when you have the right director, stars, producer etc. Will Bharat Shah's recently announced more-expensive-than-Devdas movie be a blockbuster a la Devdas? Who knows? Simply putting a big-budget is nothing.
3) Nowadays, Bollywood seems to be in love with Hollywood. But is that a good thing? Does ripping off Hollywood stories, adding a bit of masala, and some dancing, make a movie? Unfortunately, Bollywood has yet to learn that it doesn't.
There is a saying to the effect of that if you don't know how to do something, it is best to leave it untouched. If you do not know how to make Hollywood style flicks, why bother? Which producer seriously believed that ripping Matrix-esqe bullet sequences and Crouching Tiger-esqe action moves would make Awaara Pagal Deewana anything less than disgusting? Can someone simply throw a couple of stars in the loop, mix them together, add a bit of Hollywood style, then go around proclaiming a huge budget and voila, get away calling it a surefire super-hit? No. In fact, it will turn out to be a disaster. Look at AANKHEN if you want an example of that.
4) Are documentary films the way of the future? I would argue otherwise. Looking at these movies, such as Zubeidda, and to a certain extent Fiza and TLOBS, from a purely financial point of view, making such movies makes no sense. Where in TLOBS did you see the 35 CR that they spent? Atleast definetely not the sets! The same case applies for Fiza. Secondly, from a purely historical point of view, these so-called "movies" need not to be made!
Why should history to rewritten? Not to pick on TLOBS (however, it happens to be the most recent example), but it completely distorted Bhagat Singh's life. RKS, it seems, was unable to decide whether to make a historical movie or a commercial one. Instead, he choose the easy path; a combination of the two. The same happened with Fiza.
While on TLOBS, I'd like to point out how TLOBS defiled Indian history. I am utterly shocked at the recent suggestions, by some members, that it is prize worthy, let alone National Award worthy. Continuing the tradition from Hey Ram!, TLOBS decided to blame Gandhi for everything. For a movie that it supposed to salute India, it did a great job of defiling India, its' cultures, and traditions. Because of the 1960s Bhagat Singh movie, TLOBS (along with its so called years of research) decided to add in Bhagat Singh's fiancee, backed by no evidence. Another slap on the face of all freedom-fighters.
I also question the casting of Ajay Devgan as the protagonist. Devgan's so-called award winning role infact conveyed no emotion, was rather muted, and had no power. In fact, it was all the character artists that, because of their acting, were far more recognizable. Add to that a lack of "Punjabiness" in the music, and it makes you wonder why movies like this are made....
Anyways, enough of my musings. What do you say? What is the direction that Bollywood will head in the future?
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