Mumbai: Now that I have your attention with that alarmist headline, let’s dive into the matter of whether this prophecy will come true. First things first — absolutely not: The onslaught of a never-ending cycle of social media and some very mindless reels may have made this a ‘trending’ topic, but then again, what could also be trending is an irritating song that a bunch of digital marketing agencies have pushed in our faces and smothered our Instagram feeds with till it feels like it’s gone ‘viral’.
My point here is simple – if we, as a nation could have survived Govinda and Karishma Kapoor gyrating against each other and any other inanimate object in their vicinity in the song Sarkai Lo Khatiya Jada Lage from Raja Babu (1994), then Bollywood has nothing to worry about. In case pop culture references are not your strong point, the singer, Kumar Sanu, was the same one who has given us some of our most loved hymns – Raja Ko Rani Se, Pardesi Pardesi, Jiye Toh Jiye Kaise and countless others. The only difference in the current scenario is that there is too much scrutiny. But then again, others would argue that such ‘end-of-the-world’ prognostications have always been made about the film industry.
Time was when a film magazine said that Shah Rukh Khan was finished in the wake of Hrithik Roshan’s superstardom after Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai (2000). Then the words ‘Finished’ were splashed across Hrithik’s face on a magazine cover when some of his films flopped. If one were to look at the whole picture, the 80s were said to be the worst decade for the film industry – creativity saw a decline, with over-reliance on star power and clichéd plots. Then came the age of video – VHS cassettes – which gave people the option to watch movies in the confines of their homes, affecting the footfall in cinema halls.
Fast-forward to 2025, where OTTs are a new threat, no exaggeration here. Netflix, Amazon, Zee5, SonyLIV and the others – why would someone spend Rs 400 on popcorn and Rs 300 per ticket when they could watch a series in the cool confines of their home at leisure, with the privilege of being able to fast forward a trashy song or sequence that doesn’t interest them? But then again, cinema did survive the VHS, CDs and Torrentz that came after them – after all, one cannot undermine the charms of watching a movie on the big screen. Then, of course, we come to arguably the biggest threat to Bollywood currently – cinema from the south. ‘‘Why don’t we start making massy films again, like the south?’’ many ask. In 2025, if they manage to nail the massy films, there would be another school of thought arguing, ‘It is massy all right, but now the substance is missing!’
The bottom line, maybe, is that this is a phase, just like anything in life. As with every phase, there is also great content that is produced. Horror comedies ruled the roost last year, whether it was Bhool Bhulaiya 3 or Stree 2, and All We Imagine As Light continues to win another award as unfailingly as the light of a new morn shines daily, not forgetting of course, our Oscar entry, Laapata Ladies. Similarly, if you rewind to the 80s, some of our most memorable films like Disco Dancer (1982), Mr India (1987) and Khoon Bhari Maang (1988), came out of that phase. Not to forget the rise of parallel cinema, led by none other than the recently deceased Shyam Benegal, and others like Mani Kaul, Saeed Mirza Govind Nihalani and Ketan Mehta.
We were rewarded with gems such as Albert Pinto ko Gussa Kyon Aataa Hai (1981), Ardh Satya (1983) and Mirch Masala (1985), which let us watch actors like Naeeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil in action. In conclusion, to answer the titular question for today, if Mithun Chakraborty delivered 180 flops of the 270 he’s been part of, dodge bullets from behind a bicycle and receive the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, surely, Bollywood too can get past this lean patch.
