Box office CollectionCT Trends
Why Are Bollywood Films Failing? Critics Taran Adarsh and Komal Nahta Cite ‘Poor Scripts’ and ‘Industry Complacency’
In recent years, Bollywood has seen a series of films that failed to connect with audiences, despite featuring major stars and high expectations. Big-budget movies such as Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, Jigra, and Sikandar are among those that struggled to make a significant impact at the box office. Renowned film critics Taran Adarsh, Meena Iyer, and Komal Nahta discussed this troubling trend in a conversation with news agency ANI, offering insights into the evolving landscape of the Hindi film industry.
Taran Adarsh pointed out several factors contributing to the disappointing performance of recent films, notably the choice of shooting locations and the increasing reliance on social media by actors, which he believes is diminishing their on-screen appeal and connection with the audience. He cited successful films like Stree 2, Pushpa 2, and Chhaava, which have broken box office records, as examples of movies that resonated with viewers. “Why did Pushpa and Stree perform so well? Films like Jawan, Pathan, and Gadar were successful because audiences genuinely enjoyed them. If filmmakers fail to create compelling content, they can’t expect audiences to flock to theaters,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Meena Iyer emphasized that contemporary films often neglect strong scripts, leading to a sense of “dishonesty” in filmmaking. “We’ve stopped prioritizing our scripts. There’s a collective feeling of disappointment among audiences, media, and distributors. Filmmakers must realize they can’t deceive viewers anymore; delivering quality cinema is essential for maintaining relevance,” she remarked, noting that casting a superstar no longer guarantees success.
“The biggest issue is laziness. Filmmakers finalize the first draft, believing it’s sufficient. However, good storytelling requires multiple revisions and honest self-critique,” he explained.
Despite the significant budgets, films like Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, starring Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff, earned only ₹65.13 crore against a staggering ₹350 crore budget. Similarly, Jigra, featuring Alia Bhatt, had a budget of ₹90 crore but managed to gross approximately ₹56 crore. Recently, Sikandar, starring Salman Khan, hit theaters on March 30 but has struggled to find its footing, earning ₹97.75 crore in India against a budget of ₹200 crore. These insights highlight the urgent need for Bollywood to reassess its approach to filmmaking if it hopes to regain its footing at the box office.
Follow us on Google News
