The golden era of Bollywood was a vibrant time when filmmakers like Raj Kapoor, Guru Dutt and Satyajit Ray were shaping the way of the Indian film industry.
Films were bold, daring, experimental and life-changing. Art was kept at the same level as entertainment.
Lately, the dynamics seem to have changed.
Bollywood’s success formula has become stale, pushing audiences away. So much so that even a star cast and a hefty marketing budget can’t save it.
At the 15th edition of the Indian Film Festival Of Melbourne, Nora Fatehi told film critic and journalist Rajeev Masand how the concept of female beauty has become somewhat homogenised, as a result of which many women now “look the same.”
New actors lack individuality. There is very little that sets them apart from the crowd. New faces from outside the industry with different backgrounds are pushed out of the circle. Similarly, most songs these days follow repetitive formulas designed to make them catchy, sacrificing originality in the process.
Films should be a window into a director’s unique imagination. When every film starts to look the same, how can we expect something fresh and exciting? As an art form, cinema is steadily losing its individuality—new voices, faces, and talents are increasingly scarce. Projects come and go with little to no lasting impact or recall value. Some may blame nepotism, while others fault the reluctance to take creative risks. Either way, this lack of originality is costing the industry its depth and diversity.
In the very rare cases that OTT platforms give a chance to indie low-budget films, due to little to no marketing, these films are lost in the depths of high-budget commercial films and shows.
Theatres are reluctant to screen indie films during prime time because they fail to draw a substantial audience, resulting in financial losses for the venues.
Bollywood is a harsh industry, you cannot survive there. So the actors learn how to act in ways that will help them sustain themselves. Producers focus on creating films that promise specific returns, composers craft chart-topping music—even if only for a day—and choreographers design catchy dance steps that trend on social media.
It is a vicious cycle that is killing the art of making films. It has to be broken, or else Bollywood’s future is in jeopardy.
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