Karan Johar suggests a revamp for success of movies as Bollywood faces crisis
Karan Johar suggests a revamp for success of movies as Bollywood faces crisis
Nearly 57 Bollywood films were released between Diwali 2023 and Holi 2024, however, only Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal became a blockbuster between.
July 8, 2024
Even as movies have returned to theatres after the pandemic, Bollywood is going through a crisis as many films fail to achieve box office success.
In an insightful chat with journalist Faye D’Souza on her YouTube channel, Karan Johar suggested a prescription for a complete revamp that constitutes theatrical success.
“Firstly, the audiences’ tastes have become very definitive. They want a certain kind of cinema. And if you (as a maker) want to do a certain number, then your film has to perform at A, B, and C centres. Multiplexes alone will not suffice,” he shared.
He further stated that the Bollywood producers have to walk a financial tightrope as the costs of filmmaking has escalated due to inflation. Additionally, the actors demand hefty fees.
“There are about 10 viable actors in Hindi cinema, and they are all asking for the sun, moon, and earth. So, you pay them; then you pay for the film, and then the marketing expenditure comes. And then your film doesn’t do the numbers. Those movie stars asking for Rs 35 crore are opening to Rs 3.5 crore. How’s that math working? How do you manage all these? Yet, you have to keep making movies and creating content because you also have to feed your organization. So there’s a lot of drama, and the syntax of our cinema has not found its feet,” Kjo expressed.
Sharing about the situation of current trending era, he conveyed: There has been a certain kind of syntax in each decade in Hindi cinema. Right now, it’s like if Jawan and Pathaan worked, should we do only action? Then everybody’s running that way. I feel like we are running around like headless chickens. Conviction has taken a complete beating, and it’s all about herd mentality. We haven’t realized that there is a certain audience now that wants rooted Indian cinema and, without the pressure of what the critics have to say, pure joy.”
Nearly 57 Bollywood films were released between Diwali 2023 and Holi 2024, however, only Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal became a blockbuster between.
Recently, Bollywood witnessed two big budget and big banner films that turned out to be flops. Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, made on a budget of Rs 350 crore, grossed just Rs 64.5 crore five weeks after release; while Ajay Devgn’s Maidaan, made on a Rs 250 crore budget, grossed less than Rs 50 crore in the same period.
“Audiences don’t want alienating cinema. When you focus on urban themes and neglect Tier 2 cities and smaller towns, you miss out on massive business. Urban cinema can succeed, but only at a certain price,” he concluded.
