The year 2025 is upon us, and as people embark on this new journey with renewed energy, it’s important to keep the entertainment quotient high, with Bollywood as our trusty companion. However, last year, Bollywood didn’t quite live up to its promise.
Apart from a few selected successes, 2024 was marked by public disappointment over large and hyped Bollywood projects. Early in the year, movies like 'Fighter' couldn't impress, while the likes of 'Baby John' towards year-end fell short. It was films like 'Missing Ladies', 'Stree 2', and 'Pushpa 2' that managed to lift spirits somewhat.
Despite achieving the 'hit' tag at the box office, many Bollywood films were termed unexciting by critics and audiences alike. Looking back at Bollywood’s performance last year, several clear messages emerge from the audience's reactions:
Create Movies, Not 'Projects'
Bollywood is developing a trend of creating similar films based on a single success story. Recent hits revolving around patriotism and political themes have triggered a wave of announcements for more such films.
Source: aajtak
Audiences got bored, and 2024 turned out to be a tough year for films designed as 'projects' following detected formulas. The failure of 'Bade Miyan Chote Miyan', a big-budget film with grand heroes and stunts, was a testament to this. The film bombed as audiences could see through the formula of combining massive stunts with patriotic fervor. Even 'Fighter' didn’t do exceptionally well, thanks to its reliance on renowned names like Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone. Without them, it might have fared worse.
A new overused formula is now emerging with franchises and universes. The 'Singham' series’ transformation into merely a stunt spectacle by the third film signals that creators seek to capitalize on past fame without refreshing content. Despite being labeled a hit, the latest 'Singham Again' underperformed at the box office.
In contrast, fresh stories like 'Stree 2' and 'Munja' from the horror universe fascinated audiences despite showing apparent flaws. The message is clear: creators should focus on strengthening filmmaking and presenting compelling new stories to draw movie-goers back to theaters.
Skip the Release Date Drama
From 2023, Bollywood’s attempts to juggle around release dates became memorably chaotic. The insistence on specific release dates and poor planning caused unnecessary clashes that harmed the films greatly. Ajay Devgn's 'Maidaan' delayed so long that interest dwindled, even though it was a quality film. Despite being well-received on OTT platforms, 'Khel Khel Mein' flopped due to its poor timing against 'Stree 2'.
Source: aajtak
The peak came during Diwali when rival productions 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3' and 'Singham Again' stubbornly released on the same day, hurting both financially. The pre-release bickering over screen-sharing soured fans’ enthusiasm. In 2025, Bollywood must learn to adhere to a post-production-first policy before announcing release dates.
Stop Mimicking South Films
South Indian cinema is known for distinct high-octane action, employing authentic weapons and intense hand-to-hand combat with noteworthy background scores. Recently, Bollywood has clearly tried replicating this, evident in excessive violence and similar choreography in Hindi films.
Source: aajtak
Recently, the poster for Tiger Shroff's 'Baaghi 4', set to release in 2025, sparked 'South-inspired' comments. The thin line between taking inspiration and copying has become evident, and audiences discern attempts to mimic. Original creativity must take precedence for Bollywood to thrive.
No More Remakes, Please
The Hindi remake 'Sarphira' of the Tamil film 'Soorarai Pottru' was a colossal flop, highlighting a saturation of remakes. Platforms care capable of delivering original films globally, making revisiting old plots mundane. The original was an OTT release during lockdown, so why rewatch it under a different guise?
Source: aajtak
Even strategic attempts, like Hindi-dubbed Tamil movie 'Theerth' which aired on TV and YouTube, couldn’t redeem 'Baby John', despite gaining traction towards 2024 year's end.
Say No to Fake PR
Bollywood’s long-standing practice of manufacturing hype via PR has been unmasked by insiders. Search any flop from 2024 on social media, and you’ll find influencers who prematurely declared them blockbusters during their teasers' release.
Surprisingly, even as films bomb, these influencers continue defending them due to existing deals. Certain names have become viewer-decided red flags. Positive mentions on their profiles often lead audiences to avoid such films, expecting them to be bad. Recent examples include Siddharth Malhotra's 'Yodha' and Akshay Kumar-starrer 'Bade Miyan Chote Miyan,' and 'Sarphira'.
Bollywood resembles a machine desperate to extract ticket revenue using any trick, rather than keeping viewers engaged and entertained for three hours. The 2024 audience served a stern lesson to Bollywood. Time will reveal if the industry mends its ways or succumbs to more dynamic competition from regional industries, like the rising South India, with blockbuster projects like 'Pushpa 2' and 'Kalki 2898 AD'.
