Why no heroine oriented commercial entertainers in BW anymore?

Mother India, Seeta aur Geeta, Chaalbaaz, Khoon Bhari Maang, Jai Santoshi Ma are all blockbusters of their times. Khubsoorat was also a big hit.

And have meatier role for heroines.

None of these were art or offbeat films.

While I understand Mother India or Jai Santoshi Ma concept may not work in today's times, why is Bollywood not making commercial entertainers like Seeta aur Geeta, Khoon bhari maang, Chaalbaaz since 1990s? Remake of Khubsoorat was a disaster but probably more due to casting than the concept itself.

Even films like Gupt or Aitraaz are not made anymore with strong female parallel leads (who are not just vamps).

When entertaining films with heroine dominated concepts have been been and succeeded commercially earlier then why not now?

It is strange that woman oriented films lile Kahani, TDP, TWMR, Queen do become hits but not the biggest hits the way Khoon bhari maang, Seeta Aur Geeta, Chaalbaaz managed to become. Khoon Bhari Maang is biggest surprise given how high it ranked in highest grossing films of year of its release despite being an average film with average music and no hero.

Why can't today's makers make entertainers, potboilers, commercially viable films with heroine dominated concepts with top female stars of the time? I am sure there will be audience for those entertainers (not necessarily niche/offbeat/social message films) if there was audience for female dominated commercial potboilers in 70s and 80s.

I just love how detailed/thoughtful your posts are

I thought in Tanu/Manu films it’s a love story with masala elements.

Not a straight out woman oriented film

Originally posted by: atominis

Mother India, Seeta aur Geeta, Chaalbaaz, Khoon Bhari Maang, Jai Santoshi Ma are all blockbusters of their times. Khubsoorat was also a big hit.

We can name more than that in just the last decade with Queen, English Vinglish, Barfi, Raazi, Mardaani, Piku, The Dirty Picture, Kahaani.

Those were hits but not as huge grossers as Mother India, Khoon Bhari Maang, Seeta Aur Geeta and Chaalbaaz.

The films you listed are all small budget films hardly marketed as commercial hits.

I am not saying earlier women had better choices but they indeed had more commercially successful female oriented films compared to today.

Absolutely no heroine oriented film that became ATBB after Mother India and Jai Santoshi Ma or highest grosser of the year the way Khoon Bhari Maang almost managed to reach the top grosser spot in its year of release.

Not that heroines lack potential but it seems filmmakers lack the will to make commercial entertainers for universal audience with heroines in dominant roles.

Seeta aur Geeta, Chaalbaaz, especially are not typical heroine oriented message films nor have preachy monologues on how women should be treated nor are they dark subjects dealing with subjects like rape, human trafficking. They have big heroes also in them, who were secure enough to play second fiddle to heroine. They are out and out entertainers unlike Mardaani.

TDP and Mardaani were not for U rated audience anyway.

Unlike the films I mentioned which are watched by all age groups.

Barfi was never marketed as an out and out commercial film either nor is it totally heroines' film. It is a Ranbir film first.

Where are out and out commercial and U rated entertainers with female leads/heroine dominated stories nowadays that also set box office on fire and did not just become niche hits?

Originally posted by: Rekha_ji

The fact that you highlighted just 3-4 films between 1950s-1980s, goes to show the opposite of the point you're trying to make.

We can name more than that in just the last decade with Queen, English Vinglish, Barfi, Raazi, Mardaani, Piku, The Dirty Picture, Kahaani.

All those films except The Dirty Picture and English Vinglish are very niche and deal with serious subjects made to appeal for a thinking audience rather than just plain masala fun. Ladies vs Ricky Behl, Daawat-e-Ishq could have qualified if only they had been hits.

Originally posted by: atominis

Those were hits but not as huge grossers as Mother India, Khoon Bhari Maang, Seeta Aur Geeta and Chaalbaaz.

The films you listed are all small budget films hardly marketed as commercial hits.

I am not saying earlier women had better choices but they indeed had more commercially successful female oriented films compared to today.

Absolutely no heroine oriented film that became ATBB after Mother India and Jai Santoshi Ma or highest grosser of the year the way Khoon Bhari Maang almost managed to reach the top grosser spot in its year of release.

Not that heroines lack potential but it seems filmmakers lack the will to make commercial entertainers for universal audience with heroines in dominant roles.

Seeta aur Geeta, Chaalbaaz, especially are not typical heroine oriented message films nor have preachy monologues on how women should be treated nor are they dark subjects dealing with subjects like rape, human trafficking. They have big heroes also in them, who were secure enough to play second fiddle to heroine. They are out and out entertainers unlike Mardaani.

TDP and Mardaani were not for U rated audience anyway.

Unlike the films I mentioned which are watched by all age groups.

Barfi was never marketed as an out and out commercial film either nor is it totally heroines' film. It is a Ranbir film first.

Where are out and out commercial and U rated entertainers with female leads/heroine dominated stories nowadays that also set box office on fire and did not just become niche hits?

Tanu Manu Sequel was the 3rd or 4th highest grossing film of 2015

The older movies were more like revenge plots. People loved those kind of movies back then. Not sure about now.

So somehow Mother India and Khoon Bhari Maang are "commercial upbeat entertainers" but English Vinglish and Queen are "niche".

Besides, ChaalBaaz is a remake of Seeta Aur Geeta... and guess what, "ChaalBaaz In London" is coming soon

veere di wedding

Was not the biggest hit of the year but did still good business