INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
While we had some record shattering films like Pathaan, we also saw the success of underdogs like The Kerala Story
Shehzada, Bholaa that tanked at the box office despite being remakes of highly successful South films.Read AlsoManoj Bajpayee, Karishma
Tanna: How the perseverance of these late bloomers finally paid off - #BigStoryThe Hindi film industry has its fair share of underdogs who
struggled before they succeeded
Actors like Manoj Bajpayee, Karishma Tanna, and filmmakers like Hansal Mehta and Pradeep Sarkar never gave up, despite facing obstacles in
For artists, waiting for the right opportunity is oneRs 2000 crore plus riding on Bollywood in 2023: Will the wheel of fortune turn for
Hindi cinema? - #BigStoryThe year 2022 was a mixed bag of (mostly) shocks and surprises
While most of the big ticket films released in theatres like Bachchhan Paandey, Jersey, Runway 34, Heropanti 2, Dhaakad, Samrat Prithviraj,
Shamshera, Laal Singh Chaddha tanked at the box office, few films like Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, TheAnd then there were some mid-budget movies
likeMrs Chatterjee vs Norway and Zara Hatke Zara Bachke that brought about some box office cheer.Clearly, the movie business is as
pull audiences to theatres, do mid-budget movies stand a chance against films mounted on a big scale, is the charm of romcom genre still
intact, the future of remakes and what to expect in second half of 2023
Read on.Do stars pull audiences to theatres?The combination of star power and strong content can prove to be the most potent formula for
When a film successfully marries the charisma and talent of its stars with a compelling story, engaging characters, and high-quality
execution, it has the potential to leave a lasting impact and enjoy a long run at the box office
In the ever-evolving landscape of the film industry, the role of star power remains a subject of debate
While star power can undoubtedly generate initial hype and attract footfalls to cinema halls, it is the content of a film that ultimately
determines its long-term success
It relied on its compelling narratives, controversy and positive word-of-mouth, which helped it thrive at the box office
Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, despite having Salman Khan, faced challenges at the box office because the film failed to resonate with audiences
due to various factors like weak script, poor execution, or lack of novelty
But it did business of over Rs 100 crore where films are struggling to achieve even half of its numbers
But the pulling power of the stars is not what it used to be in the pre-COVID days
Shah Rukh Khan drew the audiences for Pathaan, no doubt
But had Pathaan not been a good film, even that would have flopped because we've seen several films of topmost stars hitting the dust
So definitely, people have become more selective, they want good content because they're exposed to great content on the digital platforms
So their whole nazaria of watching films has changed, they've started appreciating world cinema, so they compare everything they see, every
content is compared to the highest standards
Therefore it's become difficult for the filmmakers and therefore several films have to bite the dust
All these stars have seen bad phases
Shah Rukh had a lean phase before Pathaan smashed all the records of all times
This is true for even Salman
And I think for every other actor, once they have a very good film on their hands, their power will take that film to very high numbers
Tiger 3 can come and smash all records, for instance
Or Oh My God can be that film which will come and be a record-breaking success
The real problem is that stars' real duty is only to secure openings
But unfortunately, our media always gives the credit of the entire film's success to the stars
They need to understand that the writer, the director, and the makers of the film have a huge role to play in the success or failure
It is the star who only gets you the opening
office, a non-star cast film can get appreciation, but not necessarily do big numbers
The 2023 first half exhibited a slight deviation where even small films or mid-sized films have done impressive business
This is indeed a welcome change made possible with the change in the audience mindset
Vipul Shah feels it's not about the budget, but about the content
And they were very beautifully performed by every actor, technician, everybody
And it has got nothing to do with budget
I think films don't necessarily work well if you spend a lot of money
and marketed and distributed correctly can yield results at the box office
It has to emotionally engage the viewer
why lesser films are being made, which is why stars seem to have a lot of free time on their hands because they all are sort of wondering
been a popular and enduring genre in the film industry for many years
While the landscape of cinema has evolved and diversified over time, there is still a significant audience that enjoys romantic comedies
Shah thinks all genres will survive
But then it will again bounce back with a good film
And then people will say, we have not seen this genre of film for a long time
So I don't think that any genre typically becomes dated
How we as filmmakers will present that genre to the audience, will decide
Shehzada, Bholaa to name a few
Despite the fact that these films were headlined by big stars, they failed to leave a mark
In the olden days, South Indian films used to be seen very sparingly, nobody was bothered
When satellite channels started streaming them, people realised that it's fun, it's fun with subtitles, it's fun even if it's dubbed
Because that has adversely affected the business of remakes, people should think 100 times before remaking a film because that content may
The remake will also have to be made well
Just because you have the rights of a successful film does not guarantee success in today's time
You will have to make that film equally well or even better
If that happens, then a remake will also work
and not just remade for them to succeed.What to expect in the second half?The second half of 2023 looks promising with films like Rocky Aur
Rani Ki Prem Kahanii, Gadar 2, OMG 2, Jawan, Ganapath, Tiger 3, Dunki, Maidaan among others
Shariq believes the coming months are looking great and is hopeful these titles will strengthen the box office collections for the industry
These films are expected to entertain, engage, and captivate audiences with their storytelling, performances, and technical prowess
As with any cinematic experience, individual preferences may vary, but the lineup suggests a promising period for film enthusiasts with a
And I have a feeling that like Pathaan, there are going to be lots of films like The Kerala Story
There are going to be so many films in the second half which are going to surprise everybody with the kind of success they will achieve
This will be a year where the boundaries of box office collections will be pushed upwards
The fact that it was said, people will not watch such films in the theatre anymore, they will watch it at home, Zara Hatke Zara Bachke has
Likewise you will see a huge surprise coming in the second half of 2023
People who are in a hurry to write off Hindi film industry will be quite surprised with the success that we are going to see in the second
30% lower as compared to pre-Covid levels
The pre-Covid level numbers were somewhere close to four to four and a half thousand crores in terms of nett box office, and we are
somewhere closer to 30 percent lower than that
If the content clicks in the second half, which looks highly unlikely in my opinion, then at best we will end up coming closer towards 90
exciting content coming our way
I think the second half is going to be better than the first half
In spite of the fact that we have had two blockbusters, super blockbusters in Pathaan and The Kerala Story, in the second half, we have
Gadar, the teaser of Animal has been so, so loved
