Why Does Everyone Hate Dharma?

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Shaitaan Haiwan

@Shaitan-Haiwan

Stunner

+ 8

Posted: 7 years ago

I personally love alot of Dharma films. I love the "expensive" clothing, the cinematography, the colors/vibrance etc etc I guess I am a bad person then?

Yes Dharma films are often not realistic, and very dreamy, OTT and extra ...but isnt that the point of cinema? Not everyone wants to go the movies to watch a "realistic" story every single time. Some people WANT the fluff. Does that make them unintelligent? I love that their films have that international appeal to it - does that make me an idiot?

I am sorry but I enjoyed the superficiality in Student Of The Year, I rather watch that than something like Soorma...I enjoyed KKHH and the OTT-drama in K3G. I enjoyed films like Kal Ho Na Ho, I enjoyed comedies like HTP, HSKD, BKD, Dostana, Hell I even enjoyed the worst Dharma film of all time KANK - kill me then?

And then sometimes they deliver in films that are completely different than what they are known for - Wake Up Sid, Raazi, even Kapoor And Sons, Agneepath/2 States were very good.

It was Karan who brought a decent performance out of Aishwarya in ADHM - something "hard-hitting" directors couldn't even do..and he did it with her having less screen time lol

I understand that Dharma films are not the best... but nobody should feel suffocated or feel like they are not intelligent just because they like Dharma films. ...infact that elitist attitude is what KJO and Dharma get hated for...but the haters act the same way and thats okay because theyre the "audience" - the irony 😆

Edited by Shaitan-Haiwan - 7 years ago

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TheBoss

@TheBoss

Stunner

+ 4

Posted: 7 years ago

Dharma films are mostly just polished turds. Yet to see something that I actually liked

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LiveLifeHonest

@LiveLifeHonest

Navigator

+ 4

Posted: 7 years ago

Firstly, people don't hate Dharma. Hate is too strong a word. They dislike Dharma films for various reasons. Firstly, the melodramatic movies don't appeal to everyone. Especially when you grow and mature, your tastes change. What was once melodramatic and humorous seems silly to you. Some people may like realistic movies. Just like you believe that you shouldn't be shamed for liking it, it isn't wrong for people to change their perception of Dharma movies. And dislike those movies. Especially when some of them are problematic in terms of concepts like KKHH (Rahul liking Anjali only when started dressing femininely).

Secondly, they dislike it for the simple reason they are one of the main propagators of nepotism. Let Varun and Alia be remarkable now, but let's not deny the fact that when they first started, they weren't that great. And if they had actually auditioned like many other non-starkids, they probably may not even have made the cut (especially Alia in SOTY). Though Varun and Alia may have grown better now, this system actually stifles actual talent. Talented non-starkids don't get a chance to showcase their talent and thus, BW does lose out on many great gems.

As for many of the varied films like 2 states and Raazi, let's not forget that Alia, arguably Karan Johar's favourite, starred in it. It is a doubt if many of these films would have been produced if other actors (especially new faces- non-star kids) had starred in them. Again, potentially, these movies act as a vehicle for propagation of nepotism.

As for the statements you made about the expensive costumes and international appeal, I choose to disagree. Many of Dharma's productions (except for certain films like Raazi) don't have an international appeal and if so, are only watched by foreigners to reinforce stereotypes about BW such as flashy costumes and breaking out into dance now and then. On the contrary, realistic/ hatke BW films are getting noticed by foreigners. I was surprised when my Chinese friend came up to me and started talking about Bareilly Ki Barfi. Another Chinese friend of mine loves Dangal. The most well-known BW movie among the people in my country is in fact 3 idiots.

As for Aishwarya Rai, lol, I disagree that Dharma brought out the best in her. SLB did and she was perfectly decent in Jodha Akbar. Her good/decent performance isn't restricted to Dharma. She seems to be a director's actor.

Edited by LiveLifeHonest - 7 years ago

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Japrilforever

@Japrilforever

Dazzler

Posted: 7 years ago

Pardon me for saying this here but this is somewhat related to the topic. Dharma is (rightly) criticised for nepotism but i was just having this thought...how many non starkids are we as audience really interested in apart from one or two?

I dont know if it is because these starkids are hyped up way more than they should be but how many are really interested in say kriti sanon or SSR or Kiara Advani or SidMal or Ayushmaan Khurana or Bhumi Pednekar. Truth is that we as audience are subconsciously contributing to this starkid vs nonstarkid divide by giving starkids a lot more importance than nonstarkids. I think now in BW(unlike earlier) ppl are interested more in starkids than actors with a non filmy background.

And i dont think its coz these starkids are forced upon us. Above mentioned actors who dont have relatives in the industry too have got movies and many of them have also proved their acting talent but lack in star quality. I dont know whether being from a filmy background gives u that but RK, Alia, Varun, Arjun, Sonam have way more star power than say Bhumi or Kriti. Its true that not many ppl care about these outsiders but one article about Alia or Varun or RK or Sonam and there are pages of discussion on it. Yes, sometimes outsiders may be given fewer opportunities than starkids but if one cannot make the most out of what he/she has got, then they are not really fit to be in the game for the best. I loved bhumi and ayushmaan in dum laga ke haisha but i forgot about them almost immediately after watching the movie. About these starkids now, if they are bad they will automatically be out of the game. Alia has proven her mettle in every film since SOTY. So has RK and so has Varun. If they were bad, they wouldnt last this long and would fade away like esha deol, tanisha mukherjee and uday chopra.

So yeah, bottomline is that we as audiences get swayed towards whatever is hyped up and that non starkids need to up their game both in their performances and in displaying star quality if really nepotism has to be removed from the roots.

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Justmoi

@Justmoi

Rocker

Posted: 7 years ago

Well I don't hate Dharma but I criticize them a lot.

Dharma films were my ultimate candy floss entertainment as a kid. You can blame my love for SRK-Kajol for that. I think the popularity of the jodi and the time period in BW where most of the films were rarely grounded in reality were what was in BW. But then at that time the net was in its infancy and streaming was non-existent. So people were not exposed to world cinema or TV. So whatever was spun by BW was enjoyed even if had a hightened sense of fantasy, not grounded in reality.

Then I saw regional cinema, Malayalam and Tamil in particular. The people who made movies had an authenticity about it. Take Roja for instance. Great music (ARR's first time), cinematography, dancing and choreography (Prabhu Deva family), a story about a simple village girl and a educated husband and about terrorism in Kashmir kidnapping. It had a glossy feel to it, good production values but it did not take away from the rural feel of the girl's family or the sophistication of the boy and how they come together. It was believable. It is the same in Malayalam movies with high production values that appeal to the youth like Bangalore days for instance. It needs authenticity in locale, costume, story.

Dharma and KJo's criticism has always been the inability to tell a story without prettifying it. From KKHH and the idea of love. The take home, he sees her in a saree and falls in love immediately when he did not like her as a tomboy despite bashans about shaadi and pyar ek baar. Is love so shallow ? Take MNIK for instance, attempt on a difficult topic came as fake because it was not handled well. ADHM and stage 4 cancer, came as exploitative because it was handled again prettily. This from KJO whose father died of cancer. KANK, the reason for adultery was flippantly tossed that even Kajol said no and criticized it in KWK. YJHD, the mountain hiking gear and clothes they were not at all appropriate. It came across as sexy to attract an audience.

Dharma wants respect, wants to tell a story about serious topics don't prettify it. Poverty is not pretty, stage 4 cancer no, discrimination, honor killings, caste none are pretty. If you are exposed to regional cinema in India where topics like these are regularly handled with authenticity, with good music, cinematography that count as high production value and not designer clothes and are even BO hits, Dharma comes as fake. When there are other film makers in BW that make hard hitting films set in reality like Dangal that are a commercial hit, why can't Dharma do that ?

Indian audience through piracy and Netflix/amazon has been exposed to truly good cinema and TV. No longer are obscure indie films the ones with closed captioning. Many people regularly watch world movies and TV in a language they do not understand due to CC. Narcos on Netflix prime example. In that world Dharma seems to be caught in a time warp. KJO himself knows Dharma should change and will in a matter of 2-3 years because of Netflix , streaming and changing audience taste due to exposure. He said so in an interview about Sacred Games , Lust Stories and Netflix

Edited by Justmoi - 7 years ago

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LiveLifeHonest

@LiveLifeHonest

Navigator

+ 4

Posted: 7 years ago

Originally posted by: -JaprilForever-
Pardon me for saying this here but this is somewhat related to the topic. Dharma is (rightly) criticised for nepotism but i was just having this thought...how many non starkids are we as audience really interested in apart from one or two?
I dont know if it is because these starkids are hyped up way more than they should be but how many are really interested in say kriti sanon or SSR or Kiara Advani or SidMal or Ayushmaan Khurana or Bhumi Pednekar. Truth is that we as audience are subconsciously contributing to this starkid vs nonstarkid divide by giving starkids a lot more importance than nonstarkids. I think now in BW(unlike earlier) ppl are interested more in starkids than actors with a non filmy background.
And i dont think its coz these starkids are forced upon us. Above mentioned actors who dont have relatives in the industry too have got movies and many of them have also proved their acting talent but lack in star quality. I dont know whether being from a filmy background gives u that but RK, Alia, Varun, Arjun, Sonam have way more star power than say Bhumi or Kriti. Its true that not many ppl care about these outsiders but one article about Alia or Varun or RK or Sonam and there are pages of discussion on it. Yes, sometimes outsiders may be given fewer opportunities than starkids but if one cannot make the most out of what he/she has got, then they are not really fit to be in the game for the best. I loved bhumi and ayushmaan in dum laga ke haisha but i forgot about them almost immediately after watching the movie. About these starkids now, if they are bad they will automatically be out of the game. Alia has proven her mettle in every film since SOTY. So has RK and so has Varun. If they were bad, they wouldnt last this long and would fade away like esha deol, tanisha mukherjee and uday chopra.
So yeah, bottomline is that we as audiences get swayed towards whatever is hyped up and that non starkids need to up their game both in their performances and in displaying star quality if really nepotism has to be removed from the roots.

Totally agree with your POV, but I wonder if there is any solution for this? People like Alia have a big PH, many industry supporters behind them to hype them up, but these outsiders don't. But unless these outsiders build up their star quality, can't get rid of the nepotism. The situation seems paradoxical 😕.

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Japrilforever

@Japrilforever

Dazzler

Posted: 7 years ago

Originally posted by: LiveLifeHonest

Totally agree with your POV, but I wonder if there is any solution for this? People like Alia have a big PH, many industry supporters behind them to hype them up, but these outsiders don't. But unless these outsiders build up their star quality, can't get rid of the nepotism. The situation seems paradoxical 😕.

Yes. It totally does. I have hope in vicky kaushal (but it may be long until he gets a big ph lead role) but among the females, none seem to have impressed the audiences. So Alia seems to be enjoying her solo run nowadays. Even Jahnvi has to improve drastically since whatever i have seen of her in dhadak promos, she is far from being a good polished actor. Its like a vicious cycle wherein not many outsiders can showcase their talent because of lack of opportunities or bring about star quality to films (among the ones who do get opportunities)which is why these star kids are ruling now. The odds are clearly in their favour as audiences are also accepting them and honestly, i too believe they are the best we have as of now ( apart from say Shraddha or Arjun Kapoor).

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itzMYattitude

@itzMYattitude

Rocker

+ 4

Posted: 7 years ago

Originally posted by: LiveLifeHonest
Firstly, people don't hate Dharma. Hate is too strong a word. They dislike Dharma films for various reasons. Firstly, the melodramatic movies don't appeal to everyone. Especially when you grow and mature, your tastes change. What was once melodramatic and humorous seems silly to you. Some people may like realistic movies. Just like you believe that you shouldn't be shamed for liking it, it isn't wrong for people to change their perception of Dharma movies. And dislike those movies. Especially when some of them are problematic in terms of concepts like KKHH (Rahul liking Anjali only when started dressing femininely).

Secondly, they dislike it for the simple reason they are one of the main propagators of nepotism. Let Varun and Alia be remarkable now, but let's not deny the fact that when they first started, they weren't that great. And if they had actually auditioned like many other non-starkids, they probably may not even have made the cut (especially Alia in SOTY). Though Varun and Alia may have grown better now, this system actually stifles actual talent. Talented non-starkids don't get a chance to showcase their talent and thus, BW does lose out on many great gems.

As for many of the varied films like 2 states and Raazi, let's not forget that Alia, arguably Karan Johar's favourite, starred in it. It is a doubt if many of these films would have been produced if other actors (especially new faces- non-star kids) had starred in them. Again, potentially, these movies act as a vehicle for propagation of nepotism.

As for the statements you made about the expensive costumes and international appeal, I choose to disagree. Many of Dharma's productions (except for certain films like Raazi) don't have an international appeal and if so, are only watched by foreigners to reinforce stereotypes about BW such as flashy costumes and breaking out into dance now and then. On the contrary, realistic/ hatke BW films are getting noticed by foreigners. I was surprised when my Chinese friend came up to me and started talking about Bareilly Ki Barfi. Another Chinese friend of mine loves Dangal. The most well-known BW movie among the people in my country is in fact 3 idiots.

As for Aishwarya Rai, lol, I disagree that Dharma brought out the best in her. SLB did and she was perfectly decent in Jodha Akbar. Her good/decent performance isn't restricted to Dharma. She seems to be a director's actor.

U mentioned varun and aliya were not exceptional in SOTY so just want to know whats so exceptional about sushant or that katthik guy that they are getting films being an outsider? I never get the problem people have with insiders when outsiders are equally mediocre and average.

Varun and aliya would have auditioned n not gotten a chance? They would have if mediocre sushant karthik can pass theaudition they can enter the system too

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955555

Hibernated

Posted: 7 years ago

I love almost all KJO directorials barring his last 2 outings SOTY & ADHM, guess everyone used to like KJO and Dharma at one point of time (atleast I did😆) till he ruined it for himself due to over-exposure, I believe the shift happened during SOTY only, when he started getting on everyone's nerves by appearing at every award show, reality show & party acting like a pro gossip monger, his obsession with mainly Alia doesn't helps his or Dharma's case either so while I believe quality of Dharma films is still pretty decent its Kjo's offscreen harakatein that gets on ppl's nerves, besides pseudo intellectual section on social media loves to put down any & every thing that is not off-beat, ugly or "underrated"😆

P.S. - I dislike Kjo but enjoy Dharma films😆

P.P.S. - I don't GAF about Sid & Alia (they were both horrible), but Varun was pretty good in that crapfest SOTY despite getting the short end of the stick he managed to stand out as per most critics, mainly yahi kehna tha😆

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Justmoi

@Justmoi

Rocker

Posted: 7 years ago

#10

Originally posted by: itzMYattitude

U mentioned varun and aliya were not exceptional in SOTY so just want to know whats so exceptional about sushant or that katthik guy that they are getting films being an outsider? I never get the problem people have with insiders when outsiders are equally mediocre and average.
Varun and aliya would have auditioned n not gotten a chance? They would have if mediocre sushant karthik can pass theaudition they can enter the system too

What kind of an audition did they have ? That is the difference.

Karthik Aryan auditioned from 6 months before landing a role. Sushant was dancing, did theater while looking for a break. Ekta's people auditioned him after seeing him in something. You think they would have let them just walk into an office and blind audition for them because he wanted to be an actor ?

Aloo and her mom walked into KJO's office. Varun was AD, Harsh was AD and before that ROMP saw him during Sonam's movie. Manish Malhotra recommended Jhanvi. Harsh was AD too, so were Ranbir and Sonam. They were already in the industry in some capacity probably interning before they were noticed. What kind of an audition do you think they would have had vs an outsider ?

Edited by Justmoi - 7 years ago

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