The pandemic has come and gone and there is a change to the audience profile which actually happens every twenty years or so for one reason or the other. There will be people who say cinema has changed post the pandemic which is not the case as the sort of cinema that the core audiences liked ten years ago is very much liked today. Its just the box office demographics which change which type of cinema can do what type of numbers.
Also a successful film and popularity are two different things as popularity comes from what you do in a film and does the audience like that. We have just seen a film where the hero in a film has a bra on and its supposed to be some emotional scene but at the end that hardly matters as when a male has a bra on you have to laugh, Its basically unintentional comedy and becomes even more funnier as the scene is supposed to be serious.
Then right at the same time another trailer hits where the male lead looks to be playing a female in the film and this is not some drag act for a scene or two but a genuine female for most of the film it seems. There was another gender bender type of film (Dhaakad) last year when a female lead did action like a male would and the results where there for all to see. Here if its done as a female you may still get somewhere but wearing bras and becoming female in films is a no no but with this generation of male stars there may still more of these antics to come though and they really need a reality check. God has made males and females for a reason but Hindi cinema todays seems to like putting female characteristics into males and only god knows why. It was bad enough having films on gays and lesbians and Hindi cinema has done plenty of that also.
Also when this is done the films always see limited success and never become major grossers which every male lead needs. These critics may appreciate these sort of antics for whatever reason but the greatest director India has probably ever seen repeatedly said " ALL CRITICS ARE CH@TS" and this was way back in the 70's and 80's and and he was not the only one. Today these words hold even more truer and its goes for PAID ones and UNPAID ones. So if you are getting 4 stars or praise from a reviewer / critic just remember its is coming from a CH@T and and as soon that comes in your head you know the real value of that praise. Maybe after every box office report here the above lines should be written to constantly remind the industry. The one and only FACT is that its only the public which matters.
Also for public appreciation there is no need to go what is said anywhere and that can include the writing here. All you do need to do is get a map of India and see the more populated states of India where the core audiences are and ask your distributor of the numbers from these areas and the appreciation truth will be rubber stamped right on your face.
The problem with Hindi cinema today is a film like Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani is full of estrogen and a Dream Girl 2 will also be. This is fine with Main Tulsi Aangan Ki, Nikaah or Raazi as they are female films but if male stars are to go anywhere then your characters CANNOT have female characteristics.
Thank God between these two films there is Gadar 2 which will be pure testosterone and bucket loads of it to show Hindi cinema the way forward. It will be PROGRESSIVE CINEMA in real terms no matter what a certain section of the industry thinks and says and hopefully in time these will not even matter and if by chance the story of Gadar 2 really connects with the larger than life elements of the film then it will be fun at the box office for sometimes.
https://boxofficeindia.com/report-details.php?articleid=7910
Anupamaa
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