Covid Lockdowns effected every business and of course the cinema business too. When lockdowns were to be lifted every one was worried that leisure segments like tourism and cinema will be badly effected as it was presumed that people will be scared to go to crowded places.
But people gave a twist that beats even the best written movie scripts. ‘Revenge Tourism’ concept had to be coined. People fed up of staying homes during lockdowns … in fact they did the dare devil … they dared the covid threat and flocked to tourist places. ‘Live Life Today - don’t care about tomorrow’ became everyones mantra.
So the same thing has to be expected in cinema right. But that is not exactly what happened in Bollywood. Movie after movie dint perform at the box office. The always ticking clock of numbers came to a slow motion movement like a a shot that is set in slow motion….. Big names like Akshay Kumar, Aamir Khan, Ranveer Singh & Kangana Ranaut could not attract audiences. But it was not that people were not coming to the theatres. People did come to theatres in Hindi heartlands to watch South Indian movies like RRR, KGF2, Pushpa, Karthikeyan, and now Kantara.
Analysts began to write off Bollywood saying that the South Indian film industries are taking over by going pan India as film after film from south have become hits in Hindi… its like the number game
Lets try to understand what exactly is happening. I don’t think any film goer will decide that I want to go to a South Indian film and not a Bollywood film. Film goers will go to any film that connects with them… which entertains them.
Previously the box office was dominated by films with top stars. So how come then these South Indian films with actors who are relatively unknown in the north are performing well? But it’s not that all South Indian films are doing well in Hindi. So what exactly is happening.
I have a theory. In 1980’s and 1990’s Hindi films were dominated by Amitabhs ‘Angry Young Man’ avatar. 2000’s and 2010’s were dominated by Shah rukh khans soft romantic NRI films. I believe post covid people are tending to like aggressive ‘daredevil’ ‘I don’t care’ protagonists. This is what you see in KGF or Pushpa or RRR protagonists. In Bollywood films that have released post-covid this kind of characterisations have not been seen. South Indian Hits like PS1 and godfather are not exactly setting the box office on fire in Hindi. Though they are super hits in their native language.
PS 1 is directed by acclaimed director Mani Ratnam whose previous films like Guru, Mombai, Dil se, Ravaan are still considered classics in Hindi. Chiranjeevi’s Godfather has Salman Khan in an extended cameo role. Despite having known faces both these films have not been able to attract Hindi audiences in such large numbers. It is probably because these films too don’t have such aggressive over the top characterisations.
It is also to be taken note that nativity issue has not disappeared. We cannot still conclude that Hindi audiences are accepting South Indian nativity or vice versa. The South Indian films that have clicked in Hindi belts are mostly period films like RRR or imaginary locations like KGF. So the question of lack of nativity causing audience disconnect does not arise.
We have to wait and watch if this is a fad or trend. We have to see if Bollywood will adapt to audience preference of aggressive characters first or before that will audience liking for such characters switch to something else.
Do let me know what are your opinions. Like this trend of films or not, be vocal in the comments section below
