Star Power Vs Substance

By: Anisha Gupta

The terrible opening of Aaron Mein Kahan Dum Tha with Ajay Devgn and Tabu in the lead and that too with a miserable opening of less than Rs 5 crore on its opening day shook Bollywood.

Star-studded big-budget movies have been cartwheeling for quite some time now. As the year first half of 2024 comes to an end, the highs and lows that this year has seen till now are shaped by shifting audience preference, hegemony of OTT, and the unpredictability of expensive productions at the box office. Traditionally, the formula for success for a Bollywood film depended on star power and big budgets. This year, though came as a bit of a wake-up call. All that glamour and dazzle of big names and opulent sets did not necessarily translate into box office success.

Take for example Fighter with Hrithik Roshan, Deepika Padukone and Anil Kapoor, a film which despite all the marketing hype and its big star cast found it difficult to pull in audiences according to expectations set out of the film. The lacklustre performance of the film points to a grave issue: star power alone cannot propel a film to success. While a celebrity-driven audience was typical in the earlier era, a modern audience needs much more than a celebrity to attract eyeballs; it needs stories and engrossing drama. Another case in point is Kalki 2898 AD which featured Prabhas and Deepika Padukone in the lead and Amitabh Bachchan as well, shows that just having a heavyweight budget and a star-studded cast is not enough; the storyline on that scale and its futuristic setting did not click, proving the point that investing huge in experimental or high-concept films without a sure shot understanding of the pulse of the audience is always risky. While films such as Fighter and Kalki 2898 AD excel at delivering high production values and cinematic flair, they usually miss the mark on some core needs that need to be ticked off within the Indian cinema experience.

That experience is anchored in audience relatability, engaging narratives, and emotional resonance. In contrast, films like Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani (2023) have stars like Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt but still manage to strike a balance between grand spectacle and audience connection. This film is representative of the fact that just a well-structured story and some relatable themes really connect better with the Indian audience. By tending towards the cinematic values of yesteryear, and incorporating some modern elements, it manages to successfully meet the expectations of the audience, ideas of how a film that understands and satisfies the needs of the audience can manage to ensure critical and commercial success.

The distance between the budgets and box office collections in 2024 is a pointer towards changing dynamics. Big-budget films like Bade Miyan Chote Miyan had Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff whereas Shaitan featured Ajay Devgn fell by the wayside despite their extensive

budgets. Some of the factors that seem to combine forces here are inflated expectations, over- reliance on star power, and perhaps even misfit against audience preference. All this spectacle that had been promised by films did not actually go with what was being presented, hence a disappointing return. Other films like Munjya featured the underrated cast such as Abhay Verma, Sharvari, Bhagyashree Limaye and Mona Singh as well, and Madgaon Express followed the same strategy featuring Avinash Tiwary, Divyendu and Pratik Gandhi, did very well, having more modest budgets. The fact that these films generate high returns goes a long way to prove that it is not about glamour but more about the content. They engaged with the audience, told a story effectively, and were true to themselves, proving the adage that sometimes fiscal conservatism works wonders.

One of the most striking and perhaps the most game-changing things for Bollywood was the arrival of OTT platforms. Amar Singh Chamkila casting Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra, and other such films bypassed cinema halls and rode the new wave of digital consumption. The OTT shift has hit box office collections hard, while people have been more inclined toward the comfort and variety that streaming services give. It has made Bollywood embrace new revenue models. Starting with Mr and Mrs Mahi (Rajkumar Rao and Janhvi Kapoor) to Yodha (Sidharth Malhotra and Disha Patani), the impact of the OTT wave was felt in movies, reflecting how digital platforms are indeed changing both viewer habits and viewer expectations. The OTT model presents a direct-to-consumer model that disrupts the traditional box office-driven revenue generation model. Bollywood has, therefore, to get used to working in a hybrid model where theatrical release and digital distribution not only exist but also complement each other.

Bollywood's journey through 2024 reflects a crucial turn in the industry. It has only underlined the fact that these traditional models, based solely on star power and big budgets, are seriously circumscribed and need more authentic storylines and audience engagement. The OTT platforms have suddenly further broken traditional models of money-making in films. What was working on two fronts was compelling the film industry to adopt nuanced filmmaking and marketing. As Bollywood goes on, it will have to renegotiate these challenges with much nimbleness. Embracing innovation, comprehension of audience tastes, and adopting new models of distribution will hold the key to success. Lessons learned from 2024 so far will set the industry's strategy, ensuring that Bollywood remains resilient and relevant in this dynamically changing cinematic world.