Has Bollywood lost its charm?

I don't know if it's because of the pandemic and lack of releases, but I generally feel that Bollywood has lost the charm it had for me even till 2 years back. Right now, the level of excitement I feel when a new OTT release crops up is next to zero. Maybe because I love the big screen and the miscelleneous factors associated with it, the crowds, the whole evaluation of a film on monetary grounds ( whether it's a hit or a flop), the opening day numbers, the works.

Second reason could be the new crop of stars except Tritpti or Ishaan just don't generate that excitement in me. There is something missing, I can't pinpoint it. The passion for craft, the blistering screen presence, the aura, is all missing. Could be I'm speaking from a place of nostalgia, but I feel they don't have that IT factor. I wouldn't go to watch a cinema hall just to watch them, as I would for Deepika or Hrithik. Also, there's an over-exposure of them on social media, which just kills the vibe somehow.

Third reason which I can identify is the music has COMPLETELY become dull, staid, repetitive and generic. Seems to me there's melody missing, soul missing, and the songs are easily interchangeable. This year, not a single song has stuck in my head and I'm not playing any song on loop. I'm just listening to old songs and reliving past eras.

Do you guys feel the same way???

Yes. There ain't a single movie I feel like watching now.Moreover, BW has stopped making good comedy movies as well.

Originally posted by: infinity101

Yes. There ain't a single movie I feel like watching now.Moreover, BW has stopped making good comedy movies as well.

Same here.

Also, I feel most of the celebrities are trashy.

Most seem to be attention seekers, lack authenticity and passion towards the art.

I agree with you Minty, except the Tripti part!!

Originally posted by: Floofy_Wolf

Ishaan?

Ishaan Khattar, Shahid's younger brother. He was awesome in A Suitable Boy.

I think they are trying to hold back good releases.

Anyways, I really miss the simple and innocent romantic movies of the 90s and 2000s (especially SRK ones). They are silly but there is charm in those movies.. I don't get those feels in any of the recent ones.

Music these days is also so meh. 🤔

Originally posted by: TheMinion

I agree with you Minty, except the Tripti part!!

And also except Hrithik and Deepika part...!

I remember reading a tweet where I think a film maker mentions that BW doesnt even want to pay 30k(not sure about figure) to it's script writer but will spend crores on buying South remake.. If this is true then it's cruel that how less the script writers are paid..

You all have just got old. Time to find a new hobby.

Definitely. The charm of Bollywood I feel was largely based on romantic films. Innocent, pure romance with amazing songs.

From around the mid 2000s, the romance slowly started becoming more sexual in films, and the songs in these films started becoming more party/club based rather than pure innocent lyrics. It was still fine, but then from 2010 onwards it seems the romantic films started completely copying Hollywood.

In 2021, innocent romance is almost dead in Bollywood. Kabir Singh in 2019 was a romantic blockbuster, but of course, the Kabir character himself was very sexualized and not innocent. I liked the film though regardless.

I could be wrong, but from the looks of it here in Calgary (Canada), me and majority of the people (especially women) tend to prefer the late 90s/early 2000s romantic/family films such as KKHH, K3G and KHNH compared to the films of today! Although I will say, ADHM was loved by many folks here (including me!).

Finally, and I'm not just saying this because SRK is my favorite actor, but it sure seems like the buzz of Bollywood has declined in my city considerably ever since his career has been on the decline.