There’s red everywhere. A lot of pomp and show, a festival celebrated with vermilion and scores of dancers. Actors lip-syncing to a song that’s a rehashed version of a 2002 blockbuster. And you have a revered Hindu goddess as a prop in the music. 

It’s not hard to guess what I’m talking about, right? It’s all that Bollywood, or what should aptly be called Hindi cinema, has been about. We have grown up seeing enough spoofs in Hollywood about Hindi movies where actors burst into a song and dance sequence, and out of nowhere, several background dancers appear. Veteran actor Dilip Kumar admitted he always wondered why our movies were this way. This might be because a newly independent nation had very little to escape to in the aftermath of partition and the freedom struggle. 

Is Realism Too Much?

Movies in India have long been about escaping from reality into a parallel universe. Not to say they didn’t mirror our lives or portray human emotions and societal disparities. But, by and large, Indian movies catered to an audience desperate to escape from routine life. Movies were a different world, and movie actors were another species. 

A lot has changed over time. Movies are varied and have deviated greatly from their song and dance routines and escapism. Audiences have evolved drastically, and you have Gen-Z questioning the whole “What’s this dumb song doing in the middle of nowhere?” There’s a lot of realism now, and actors showcase emotions devoid of drama and theatrics. 

Old Glitz is Back?

And yet we have movies like Rocky Aur Rani ki Prem Kahaani (2023) making money at the box office and drawing in audiences. Dubbed a family entertainer, the film tries to capture the transition from conservative thought processes to progressive ideas in families. It is all drama, which is all about family. The characters try to break gender and societal stereotypes while reinforcing a few existing ones. A lot of song and dance ensues, and unrealistic things happen. Typical of Bollywood family entertainers. 

We thought Indian audiences had gone beyond such movies. Don’t they appear 90s or early 00s? Well, they aren’t! Moviemakers have long been bewildered by audience reactions and choices. They keep saying they don’t know what works with fans at any point in time.

Escapism Wins…Again?

You would think Indian audiences want to leave their brains behind when they pay ₹1,800 per ticket in a multiplex. Bam! They give a huge thumbs down and make memes on how bad the movie or the actors are. An intense movie like Rockstar (2011) wins hearts years after its release, while Tamasha (2015) receives appreciation a couple of years after it was declared a failure. Just when you think it’s substance and script over stars, movies like Rocky Aur Rani ki Prem Kahaani bring the old Bollywood of song, dance, and drama back and receive appreciation for the lip-service it does to women empowerment, toxic masculinity, and ‘wokeness.’ 

It’s an escapist movie at its core that brings out these societal and gender issues to stay relevant. Audiences lapped it up, with many declaring, “Old Bollywood is back!” The chiffon sarees with snow all around, outdoor shoots, designer costumes, and romantic songs abound – classic cocktail ingredients of a Bollywood movie. But what does ensue for Hindi cinema, in general? 

As we wait for another SRK-driven movie in less than a year, here’s to hoping films continue to be inclusive. Neither the overly dramatic and unrealistic romance sagas nor VFX-driven, MI-styled action thrillers. Somewhere in the middle. Somewhere, you and we can find all ranges of human emotions and escape, lessons and laughter, choreographed dance sequences, and a lonesome person staring out the window while a melancholic song plays lulls in the background.

Article Courtesy of Neha Jha

Feature Image credit to Viacom18 Studios via Binged