Which is the best year for Bollywood in the 21'st century?

Vote and comment.

DISCLAIMER - I don't mean commercially when there was maximum revenue (2019) ONLY

I mean when Bollywood had something intangible which will be passed down for generations...a year that will be remembered as a cult year for Bollywood

2012. A solid mix of good smaller budget films doing well, some niche directors breaking out and even the masala being better than average. Even the complete trash like Housefull 2, Bol Bachchan, JTHJ, Son of Sardaar and Dabangg 2 were all hits.

• Ek Main Aur Ek Tu
• London, Paris, New York
• Paan Singh Tomar
• Kahaani
• Vicky Donor
• Ishaqzaade
• Rowdy Rathore
• Shanghai
• Gangs of Wasseypur
• Cocktail
• Ek Tha Tiger
• Jalpari
• Barfi!
• OMG
• English Vinglish
• Aiyyaa
• Student of The Year
• Talaash

2004 - Ab Tak 56, Khakee, Ek Hasina Thi, Maqbool releasing in the first quarter itself! Followed by Yuva, Swades, Lakshya, Dev.

You also had decent mainstream fare like Hum Tum, Dhoom and MSK.

Has to be a year before 2012.

I think 2005 was quite a good year, both in terms of the type of movies that came out, music, etc too lazy to type it all out

Funny, I was just helping my younger cousin on an essay about Bollywood😆, and how it changed over time particularly in the 21st Century.

The year in focus was 2006 and following is what we eventually composed.

The early 2000s bore resemblance to the 90s when you consider it. From 2003 to 2005, there was a transitional phase, but it was in 2006 that a significant shift occurred, not limited to Bollywood.

The true culmination of the 90s phenomenon came in 2006, marked by the decline of analog audio cassettes and the increasing prevalence of personal computers (PCs) and cyber cafes, alongside the rise of broadband internet. Although the widespread use of social media, smartphones, iPhones, Wi-Fi, and affordable internet was still a few years away, even the youngest true millennials (born in 1992-93) began exploring and consuming the internet by 2006.

During this time, they transitioned from watching cartoons on TV to experiencing films in multiplexes (which were relatively new) or through DVDs/CDs on their personal computers. They also became active consumers of the emerging social media websites.

Consequently, everything associated with the 90s started to appear outdated and passé by 2006. Film directors like Subhash Ghai and Ram Gopal Varma, as well as singers like Alka Yagnik, Udit Narayan, and Kumar Sanu, who were once prominent figures, saw a decline in their popularity as young millennials became the primary consumers of internet content and Bollywood.

Several 90s actresses, including Karisma Kapoor, Raveena Tandon, Urmila Matondkar, and Mahima Chaudhry, in a way, had given up on their careers by this time after facing multiple disappointments in the early 2000s. Kajol, on the other hand, made a brief return with "Fanaa" but chose to work sporadically either with Karan Johar or her husband.

Moreover, the downfall of early 2000s A-listers like Rani Mukerji and Preity Zinta began during this period, with Aishwarya Rai managing to maintain her success until 2010. A new wave of actresses, including Vidya Balan, Priyanka Chopra, and Katrina Kaif, started gaining prominence, surpassing their contemporaries like Amisha Patel, Lara Dutta, and Isha Koppikar. Kareena Kapoor Khan is the only early 2000s debutant who managed to sustain her success. Additionally, 2006 marked the debut of Kangana Ranaut and Deepika Padukone in Himesh Reshammiya's album.

Among actors, Hrithik Roshan had his best year in Bollywood, prompting 90s actors to focus on reinvention. Aamir Khan entered his "Mr. Perfectionist" phase, while Ajay Devgn reinvented himself through comedy with "Golmaal." Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan had already reinvented themselves by 2006, and Shah Rukh Khan had his last serious attempt at romance-drama with "Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna" before shifting his focus towards building his superstar image.

However, actors like Suniel Shetty and Govinda struggled to reinvent themselves. Salman Khan also faced challenges and had to wait until 2009-2010 to truly reinvent his career. Other male actors either faded away or were downgraded to B-list status, such as Akshaye Khanna, Dino Morea, Vivek Oberoi, Riteish Deshmukh, and Abhishek Bachchan. Shahid Kapoor and John Abraham were among the few who managed to survive somehow.

The trend of sequels and remakes gained momentum in 2006 with films like "Phir Hera Pheri," "Dhoom 2," "DON," "Lage Raho Munnabhai" and "Krrish." Additionally, the reality TV show "Bigg Boss" made its debut during this time.

Essentially, many things that are currently popular or were popular until 2019, before the pandemic, were in their early stages of development in 2006. Everyone, including Bollywood, was looking ahead rather than dwelling on nostalgia, which is in contrast to the present scenario.

Originally posted by: mintyblue

Vote and comment.

DISCLAIMER - I don't mean commercially when there was maximum revenue (2019) ONLY

I mean when Bollywood had something intangible which will be passed down for generations...a year that will be remembered as a cult year for Bollywood

2001 also saw films like Gadar, Aks, Lajja, Chandni Bar, Daman, Nayak, One 2 Ka 4, Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya, RHTDM , tum bin and Zubeida.

Apart from years mentioned in the thread 2007 also some good films .