Year Ender 2022: 6 Reasons Why Bollywood's Box Office Collections Were Unimpressive

Bollywood witnessed a downward slope this year with big budget films lacking the power punch to attract audience to the theaters. Leaving a few, such as Bhool Bhulaiya 2, Gangubai Khatwiawadi, and The Kashmir Files, the majority of Hindi films in 2022 have bit the dust. Tall promises, lustrous sets, countless interviews, and promotions did not help to pick up the sales of tickets at the box-office.

As Hindi movies lagged behind regional cinema in leaving a mark on the audience's mind, Bollywood also suffered due to a massive boycott trend against the industry that began almost immediately after a film's announcement.

Despite being at the forefront of filmmaking in India, Bollywood is struggling to convince the audience to trust them with their time and money. Dubbed versions of regional films like RRR, Kantara, and KGF 2 performed exceptionally well in the theaters. So, what could be missing from Bollywood that is causing the downfall of India's biggest film industry?

BAD SEQUELS

While everyone eagerly looks forward to the sequel of their favourite movie, a half-heartedly made and unnecessary sequel becomes an issue. The best example of this is Ek Villain Returns. There have been several examples in the past where popular sequels failed to make an impact on the audience due to their poorly written scripts, the inclusion of new characters, and the complexity of the entire plot (e.g., Grand Masti, Total Dhamaal, Dedh Ishqiya, Race, etc.).

ALL SHOW NO SUBSTANCE

Nothing can compensate for good content! Lavish sets, foreign locations, bigshot stars, dance numbers, and a great marketing strategy-even all these things cannot save a film if it lacks good and gripping content. For instance, the makers of Vijay Devarakonda's Liger did influencer collabs and extensive promotions across the country, but the film tanked miserably at the box-office. Promotions can definitely help take people to the cinema in the first weekend of its release, but they can only survive if the content is good. Hence, poorly written plots and uninteresting picturization are pushing the audience to explore regional cinema.

WRONG CASTING

Casting the right actors plays an important role, as performing that particular character depends on the credibility of the actor. Star value would not always help the movie to fetch the audience to the theatres. Akshay Kumar, who played the titular role in Samrat Prithviraj, turned out to be the biggest dud at the box office. Many felt Akshay's casting for a historic character was a totally wrong decision. On the other hand, the makers claimed to have done extensive research for the film, which didn't reflect on the screen. The same thing was also said about Alia Bhatt's casting in Brahmastra, as many believed that the film could have done without her character.

REMAKES

The tried-and-true formula of making money by ripping off the original story might be a smart choice, but it doesn't always work. With the emerging popularity of OTT platforms, we already have access to the original movie, making the audience less interested in the remade one as there's nothing impressive in the film. Therefore, it fails to create a solid impact on the audience, as remakes are generally forgettable.

PREACHY STORIES

Films are made for entertainment and to break away from the norm. Though we also need socially driven dramas as well, but too much prechy dialogues and morality induced scenes, too many emotional plots may not be something that the audience would like to invest time in. Akshay Kumar's Raksha Bandhan and Jugjugg Jeyo are good examples of how too much family drama feels overburdening to watch on screen.

LOSS OF TOUCH WITH THE MASSES AND AUTHENTICITY

South Indian films have gained popularity among audiences because they remain connected to their fans and the masses. They are committed to their originality and authenticity, whereas Bollywood has lost touch with its audiences. For example, a film like Gehraiyaan or Dil Dhadakne Do may have a brilliant script and performances, but it won't connect with the people from middle- or lower-class backgrounds who make up the majority of the Indian population. But a story like Pushpa and KGF is universal; it resonated with people because they could feel the same pain and suffering as the hero. Too much stylish scripting, english dialogues, and the race to ape Hollywood have killed Bollywood's natural feel. Glamour and the absence of local attributes have made Bollywood forget its roots.