Bollywood movies are just entertainment and we should forget about it all at the end of the movie – right? Fair enough. However, some would argue that Bollywood wields tremendous influence and soft power which it should wield sensitively and responsibly. As viewers, I think it is also up to us to demand quality entertainment – interesting, original content. In the event, we hope we see much less of the following in Bollywood movies of 2021:
In Bollywood, what usually passes for adult comedy is little more than innuendo, double meaning, titillation and sexism if not actual misogyny. It is typically puerile, unfunny, crass and over the top content that relies on homophobia, transphobia, and insensitive stereotypes to raise some titters. Please, no more.
Let us hope Bollywood ditches the done to death formulas and moves beyond remade movies and remixed music. There is no paucity of good stories – let’s hear those instead of the tired, old w(h)ine in shiny new bottles. Also, let’s ditch the sequels. Munnabhai and its sequel were good. Period. There are few or no other sequels that quite did it for me.
It is a tall ask that Bollywood should eschew nepotism altogether – all of India is nepotistic. However, Bollywood really needs to introspect about giving star-kids a free ride to stardom without so much as an audition. Maybe don’t shove lack of talent down our throats Bollywood? And don’t let your tight little cliques be so hostile to newcomers. Do you really imagine that Bollywood progeny like Varun Dhawan could enjoy the success he does without his dad being who he is? Or that Karan Deol would be anywhere close to starring in a movie with his spectacular lack of talent? Or that Abhishek Bachchan could have got the repeated chances that he continues to get even today?
Could the Khans, the Kumars and Kapoors and assorted other (yes, including the timeless Rajini) act their age, please? In one film, Sunny Deol – at age 55 or so, starred opposite a woman girl aged 19. We have to ask – what were you thinking! Men in the Indian film industry are routinely cast opposite women half their age or less and the paying public is expected to simply suspend disbelief. Let’s have no more of the aging lotharios – act your age, gentlemen.
Stalking is not courtship. Harassment is not flirting. Assault is not passion. Bollywood needs to get over its toxic masculinity fixation. May be in less enlightened times, harassment and stalking passed for हलकी फुल्की छेड़ छाड़; at the end of which the heroine relented and fell in love. This is no longer OK. Neither is it OK to bash up people because of an imagined slight or injustice. Nor is it OK to be a vigilante who delights in rough and ready justice of his own making… even if one does imagine oneself to be Dabangg or Simmba! Real life is not like that. The impressionable young boy watching the movie don’t need to be told that if he is relentless enough in his pursuit, हसीना मान जाएगी . He doesn’t need to be misguided into thinking that ‘fighting’ for one’s rights is done only with one’s fists. To be clear, मर्द को दर्द होता है and it is perfectly OK to admit it. 2020 has been a bad year for filmmakers. With any luck, Bollywood will up its game in 2021 – in its own interests and ours as well.
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