Bollywood trends-the last 5 years

If you ask me what changes have marked Indian Cinema in the last five years, I will be a bit hard pressed to find a tangible trend. Or ‘credible’ trend, to put it more correctly. Though Slumdog Millionaire created quite the stir with its international fanfare at the outset of the last five years in question, there were really no films that contributed to any follow-up fireworks. And it didn’t set any trend of Indians being permanent fixtures at subsequent Oscars.

Truth is, in these last five years, some regional and several independent cinema, which are by and large relegated to the musty backgrounds of Indian filmdom, have created the occasional gem and have been quietly winning national and international recognition.

At the same time, main stream cinema has continued its flamboyant existence, remaking, copying and creating larger than life spectacles and also unleashing the 100 crore beast on the Bollywood Film Industry.

What is this new creature you ask? Well, simply put, these days the success of any film that comes out of the Mumbai Film Industry is based on its net collection. Which essentially is the money the makers earn post all the deductions – tax and otherwise. And when that figure crosses the 100 crore mark, you have a winner. Else it’s a dud and will be described as a film that has had an ‘average’ box office run.

This trend was set off in 2008 by Aamir Khan’s Ghajini. The details and finer points of this work of cinematic art are largely irrelevant to this discussion, and most discussions on Bollywood cinema of the day, except that it was the remake of a Tamil hit film and that it had copious amounts of blood, gore and bad acting. In that order. Well, more or less.

It didn’t take long for the rest of the industry to catch on to the formula and thus the 100 crore run began. Aamir stayed in the game the very next year too, with 3 Idiots in 2009. A harmless film, though not exactly brilliant, but still one that would sort of justify the huge earnings. Well again, more or less.

Come 2010 and it was Salman Khan’s turn to add to the Bollywood kitty. Dabangg was a Bollywood original. The storyline, treatment and acting, all over the top and if I were to attribute anything to it, it would be the terms - outrageous and in your face. Much like its predecessor Wanted, which sadly missed the 100 crore mark by some. So it was not actually even a first.

The same year saw Golmaal 3 make the cut. A Rohit Shetty film, which have by now have become a genre unto themselves, this one relied heavily on slapstick. Which means it mostly made you want to slap someone or make just use of the business end of a stick. But 100 crores it did make.

The year 2011 saw two Salman Khan films cross the line in quick succession – Ready and Bodyguard. Both remakes of hit films from the south Indian film industry. Yes, they have the same formulae but not the collection. At least not yet.

Seven more films have been added to this list since then, the latest being Ek Tha Tiger, another Salman grosser. So, what do these films have that others don’t? At first glance, they all have an attractive star cast, little or no story line, minimal plot, lots of blood, plenty of flipping cars, stunts and the inevitable item number. So is that what makes a successful film in India? Looks like it. Is it what makes a riveting film? Doubt it. Ask the makers of Gangs of Wasseypur or Kahaani or even the little known national Award winning Adaminte Makan Abu. Riveting story telling? Yes. Star cast? No. 100 crore collection? Dear Lord, NO.

Last heard the latest 100 crore winner Ek Tha Tiger was busy setting a brand new bench mark – the fastest 100 crore, film. Do we see a new trend brewing? Perhaps the next milestone in Bollywood film making.

(Annu CM works in the Wellness and Entertainment division of NDTV Good Times. An alumnus of MCRC, New Delhi, Annu as been with NDTV for more than a decade. Her understanding and affection for Bollywood comes from an enduring love for old Hindi film songs.)