What is Wrong with Bollywood: Editorial

Bollywood is like that middle-aged annoying lady who goes to kitty parties and often compares her lifestyle with that of other ladies in the group; prides upon the fact that she is somehow above them and appreciates the youngsters while secretly making unpopular comments and narcissist attempts at restoring her older glory.

The problem with B-town is not the empty-shelled actors and actresses who are better equipped to be a model or a fashion icon but that they are hiding behind their well-established Godfather guardian trying very hard to act and the media who encourage cheap tricks played by these movie zealots who get down to the lowest levels to promote their upcoming movies which don’t last even three days at the theaters.

Also Read: Top 5 Banned and Controversial Movies of Bollywood

What comes naturally to these supposedly entitled brats is pulling out tantrums, gushing over Hollywood singers or worse self-promoting themselves by involving in a high-profile scandal to grab to limelight which will bring them in front of the news-hungry paparazzi. Below are five things that are absolutely ridiculously wrong with the infamous Bollywood.

1. Fashion vs Acting

Agreed that there is a close connection between fashion and Bollywood. Most of the B- town beauties are chosen from Miss India, Miss World list and the likes. As their leading ladies, movie makers need actresses with long dainty legs, surgical smiles and very less acting. In fact, fluency in the Hindi language and the ability to deliver a dialogue is just too unnecessary for today’s actress because it often gets dubbed. It is an added advantage if the main lead is a Khan; any Khan will do for that matter.

2. Nepotism

If half the leading actors and actresses are from the modelling industry, the other half are the children or nephews and niece of yesteryear’s stars. Some have the audacity to complain that it was rather too difficult for them to take a step in to mainstream cinema while riding in daddy’s luxury cars and managing dates with the movie directors which apparently clashed with their foreign vacations. ‘Are my diamond shoes to heavy!’

3. Stereotypical Garam Masala

An orphan boy, a socially awkward teenage girl, a love story between rich and poor family prodigy, bling- bling dance numbers occurring at random point of time, foreign locations for romantic songs, unnecessary melodramatic scenes and overly spiced intimate scenes; haven’t we seen it all! The climax scene ending at a railway station from the 90s has been replaced with airport meetings because there is lot of money in Bollywood, so why not!

4. Following a Trend

A very famous TV series which set the world record for highest viewed series has given way to epic movies in Bollywood which are following a certain trend that is a dead giveaway of the original series. Apparently, in Bollywood, there is no shame in copying the most obvious of the trend that is a sure shot way of minting money, leads to very low quality in terms of the screenplay which is imperfect even from the perfectionists. They call it inspiration. We have seen a series of historical movies come and go for a few years which hit the box office list and made millions. Aren’t the viewer’s aware from where it is copied? Come on Dude! It is not the 60s anymore.

5. Private vs Personal

Rather than the movies, it is the personal life of actors and actresses that are in the media now-a-days rather than the upcoming movies. All of a sudden when an actor is in for a trial for a crime that can get him jailed for a long time, there comes news of his charity work, his upcoming movies that portray him as a lover of the country, the savior of the poor, the holy man dancing in front of a powerful deity showcasing his love for another culture than his.

While a famous 1-year-old is having a play date with another celebrity toddler, they are working hard to show off their baby fat so that the sidetracked parent’s career sees some limelight. While the cheap flicks, the way too unnecessary hype for a change in a haircut or a probable breakup of a young couple makes news, the highly talented actor’s movies don’t even get released because of insufficient budget and not enough permissions.

All in all, a lot of factors influence the progress of Bollywood. It is not the directors, the actors or media alone who are responsible at the low quality of movies that are getting released each year. If we have to increase the quality of movies, the stereotypical aspects have to fall apart and make way for fresh talent so that Indian cinema can flourish.