The film industry reopened in November 2021, after the coronavirus pandemic lockdowns. However, even more than eight months after that, people in the trade continue to express surprise whenever a film flops. Comments like “The public is not interested in our films,” “People are more interested in watching stuff on OTT platforms, so how will films run?”, “It’s scary… what does one make?” and their variations are heard in every gathering of film people. Such comments and questions are invariably accompanied by surprised and shocked looks. But wait!
Whom are we fooling? Nobody except ourselves. By blaming it all on the paying public, all we are doing is reducing our guilt of delivering poor content. For, if we don’t express shock and don’t keep repeating that the audience is not interested in coming to the cinemas, we would, somewhere be admitting that our content is failing. And that is the truth, the whole truth and the only truth. The audience is not failing us, we are failing to deliver.
The same public came in large numbers to watch Sooryavanshi in November 2021, Gangubai Kathiawadi in February 2022, The Kashmir Files in March this year, and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 in May 2022. Nobody had to bribe the public, none of the producers of the aforementioned films did anything different in their promotion, but the paying public patronised these films simply because they were good, entertaining films. After the success of these films, to blame the failure of other films on lack of inertia of people to come to the cinemas is nothing but hogwash. We’ve had hits in the regional cinema space too. Naadi Dosh, Kahevatlal Parivar and Vickida No Varghodo in Gujarati, Pawankhind, Sher Shivraj, Chandramukhi, Dharmaveer, Sarsenapati Hambirrao in Marathi, and several Punjabi films like Saunkan Saunkne, Dakuaan Da Munda 2, etc. have done well at the same box-office. And why do we conveniently forget the crowds witnessed in cinemas for the Hindi dubbed version of Pushpa The Rise: Part 1 first, followed by the Hindi dubbed versions of South’s RRR and K.G.F. Chapter 2? All these three South films were also released in the same so-called dull period when people are supposed to be shying away from theatres!
It is not just the trade people who are living in a fool’s paradise when they pretend to be shocked at the dismal collections of new releases almost every week. Most of the reviewers, critics and film trade analysts are to be equally blamed for giving the impression that good films are not being patronised by people these days. They give undeserving stars to films with poor content, which the trade people believe (aren’t the trade people innocent?). Jugjugg Jeeyo, Shabaash Mithu, HIT – The First Case, Rocketry: The Nambi Effect are but a few examples of films which were given stars which they definitely did not deserve. Why, even disastrous fare like Jayeshbhai Jordaar, Samrat Prithviraj, Bachchhan Paandey, Dhaakad, Anek and Heropanti 2 had many reviewers fawning over them. Glowing reviews to such substandard films were far more than genuine reviews. The funny part is that these exaggerated reviews were trusted by the trade people but not by the public (for whom they were really meant) because had they been taken seriously by the common filmgoers, collections of such films would’ve been far more than they were. If they weren’t taken as sacrosanct by the trade people, they (the trade people) would not have had the courage to pretend that it was good films which were flopping and only because people had stopped coming to cinemas.
And frankly, why will people stop coming to the cinemas if what’s being offered to them is worthwhile? The COVID-19 effect is long over. Let’s not fool ourselves into believing that Bollywood is not doing well because the fault lies with the audience. Let’s just be brave enough to admit that the quality of content is not good enough to attract the audience to the cinemas. Give the public good films, they will happily come to cinemas, that too, in large numbers. So next time you hear anybody saying, people are not coming to the theatres, simply turn back and ask, which is the film which deserves their patronage, and then wait for their reply. You will hear a deafening silence!