India's Bollywood at a crossroads: Beyond the glitter, a crisis brews

Gulf News

28-04-2025

If there was one sure shot in Bollywood, it was that a film starring one of the Khans would be a blockbuster hit, especially over Eid. But this year, Salman Khan's latest film, 'Sikandar' has struggled at the box office. It only crossed the Rs1 billion mark more than 8 days after its release, symbolising the current crisis facing the Hindi film industry. Over the last couple of years, big-budget films, once a guaranteed draw for Indian audiences, are now routinely falling flat. Lavish productions with A-list stars, expansive sets, and aggressive marketing campaigns are delivering dismal returns.
And it is the Hindi film industry that has been hit the hardest. Take a huge star like Akshay Kumar. His last big hit film was back in 2021. Since then, at least 8 of his films have flopped, in a row. 2025 has been pretty dismal on the whole for Bollywood so far. Apart from 'Sikandar', films like 'Sky Force', 'The Diplomat', 'Kesari Chapter 2' have all fallen short.
According to Ormax media, there was a 13 per cent decline in the box office revenue of Hindi films from 2023 to 2024. Significantly, more than 30 percent of this revenue came from South Indian films dubbed in Hindi.
So what's going wrong?
The 2020 pandemic hit the film industry hard. But after the slump, Bollywood did well and had a good run with a string of big hits in 2023. After that, its been a huge slump.
Part of the problem is that Bollywood content is just not cutting it with audiences anymore. With OTT platforms giving smaller and more creative filmmakers a chance to showcase their talent, people's tastes have changed. It is no longer enough to put a so-called 'A' list star in your movie and get away with garbage content. Bollywood has clung too tightly to outdated formulas, banking on spectacle over substance and nostalgia over novelty. In doing so, it has lost touch with a new generation of viewers who demand more than just song-and-dance routines and recycled storylines.
Viewers today are spoilt for choice on OTT platforms where they can watch not just some of the best desi (local) content, but also superb shows and films from Korea, America, the UK and Europe. It has opened the minds of audiences to content that goes way beyond the Hindi film industry's tried and tested formulas.
The story matters. A small film like '12th Fail' with no superstars was a big hit with its relatable storyline, and simply fantastic performances. It was made at a modest budget of Rs200 million, a fraction of what some of the big budget films cost to make.
Affordable choices
OTT platforms are also more affordable for audiences. A Netflix subscription allows people to watch a movie in the comfort of their homes at a far lesser cost than going to a movie theatre with the entire family and blowing up money on over-priced popcorn and cola. Interestingly, as Bollywood has floundered, films from the South are doing much better like 'RRR' and 'Pushpa'. Their strong scripts and stories have been credited for their success.
Recently, director Anurag Kashyap said he was leaving Mumbai, saying he had had enough of the star tantrums and lack of creativity. Another well respected director, Hansal Mehta said on social media that 'Hindi cinema needs a reset', going on to write 'the industry isn't dying. It's waiting to be disrupted. The future of Hindi cinema lies in betting on raw talent, bold storytelling, and directors who can take a script and direct it well. The past few years have proved: stars don't necessarily bring audiences; conviction does. A new generation of actors, filmmakers, and writers is ready to change the game. But it will take producers with vision, platforms that back stories over statistics, and directors who demand authenticity over familiarity.'
So is Bollywood ready to listen to Hansal Mehta's advice? Will filmmakers have the courage to stop their dependence on 'stars' and go back to the basics - invest in good writing? They need to listen to the audience. Take creative risks. Until then, the flop show will continue — no matter how glossy the poster looks.