The latest Bollywood talk is no longer just about the South versus Bollywood rivalry, but more focused on the performance of high–cost Hindi films. When August’s big releases Raksha Bandhan and Laal Singh Chaddha hit theatres, they were expected to make a great impact at the box office. Sadly, these films failed to impress their audience. On the other hand, movies such as Pushpa and RRR did exceptionally well not only in terms of ticket sales but also have earned a tremendous reception through OTT platforms. Veteran film director Prakash Jha put forth his take on this by mentioning that what Bollywood really needs is something fresh; rather than depending heavily on remakes for content.
During an interview with Cinestaan, Prakash Jha described it as a crucial warning for the film industry. “The creatives need to comprehend that simply throwing money around and making actor’s fee a top priority won’t cut it. What is required is an extraordinary narrative that catches and interests individuals,” he expressed. Additionally discussing how a revamp of their strategies is required and how depending solely on remakes needs to be dodged. He also suggested that coming up with something authentic is a must in today’s era: “Individuals from the Hindi film industry are communicating in Hindi yet what are they really creating? Nothing but reboots; if you don’t have any story worth sharing, stop making films at once! They ought to be devoted and discover motivation without settling into lethargy,“ he further elaborated.
While appreciating Aamir Khan’s dedication to the project, it was also noted that the content was not strong enough to entice the viewers. As of yet, no one has expressed genuine enthusiasm for the film, despite Aamir’s hard work and efforts. It could not be asserted that it did poorly due to a boycott, as even without one its reception was still unfavorable. Therefore, it cannot be attributed only to this external factor; there must have been something else missing in terms of its content for viewers to not respond well.
For those unfamiliar, Laal Singh Chaddha is a remake of the award–winning Tom Hanks film Forrest Gump, featuring Kareena Kapoor Khan and Aamir Khan in prominent roles. It was launched alongside Raksha Bandhan starring Akshay Kumar and Bhumi Pednekar, both films released on August 11th.
