Everyone wrote Bollywood obit. Then Shah Rukh Khan made the miracle happen

From Kerala Story, Animal, 12th Fail, to Barbie and Oppenheimer, Indian audiences lapped up these films and were hungry for more. No matter the controversies.

Shah Rukh Khan in Jhoome Jo Pathaan song | YouTube

The year 2023 was remarkable for cinema across the world. After a long dry spell due to the Covid-19 pandemic, audiences returned to the theatres in droves. This was truly heartwarming for those of us who watched the industry lose thousands of dollars, gig artists facing penury, theatres, production houses, and film magazines going out of business. Now, Ormax Media’s Box Office Report for November 2023 has reckoned that by the end of December 2023, Indian films would have made Rs 11,000 crore, with Hindi language films contributing over 41 per cent to the kitty. This is a new record; previously, the highest gross earning by Indian films was Rs 10,948 crore in 2019.

The pandemic had a deep and lasting impact on Hindi cinema. In 2020, when theatres were shut down, viewers turned to the small screen for comfort. Subscriptions to OTT platforms went up significantly among those who could afford it. Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Hotstar+ and other OTT platforms started expanding their libraries of Hindi films and creating fresh content, with the Hindi audience as the target. Manoj Bajpayee in Raj and DK’s show The Family Man, Pankaj Tripathi in Mirzapur, and Jaideep Ahlawat in Paatal Lok became very popular.

By the time the second and third waves of Covid-19 surfaced, South Indian cinema had stolen a march over Hindi films, which seemed bereft of ideas and started tanking at the box office. Directors such as SS Rajamouli rode this wave with RRR (2022), other big successes being Pushpa: The Rise and KGF: Chapter 2. Malayalam films found new viewers all over India, thanks to the availability of subtitles on OTT platforms.

Moreover, Sushant Singh Rajput’s death in 2020 delivered another body blow to the industry. Polarised Indians started social media campaigns and boycotted Hindi films en masse. Akshay Kumar and Aamir Khan’s popularity fell, which was evident in the failure of Aamir’s ambitious Forrest Gump remake Laal Singh Chaddha in 2022.

SRK saved the day

For a while, it seemed only a miracle could save Hindi cinema. That miracle turned out to be Shah Rukh Khan. With Pathaan breaking records in the very first month of 2023, SRK lifted the Hindi film industry out of the abyss.

Pathaan brought out the best in Shah Rukh after a long time, and the jokes in the film about the ageing Khans hit the spot: “After us, who?”, Salman and SRK asked in the trainwreck scene. Jawaan, which followed a few months later, was another megahit, with more meta references. The difference between the two films was that while Pathaan appealed to audiences from three generations, Jawaan seemed to sit well only with SRK’s Gen Z fans and millennials.

Salman Khan’s film Tiger 3 from the YRF spyverse did well, thanks to the loyalty of the actor’s die-hard fans. Critics, though, said that it may be time for him to retire and pass the baton to younger YRF spy-heroes like Kabir (Hrithik Roshan) and Khalid (Tiger Shroff). Rumour has it that a Tiger vs Pathaan film is on the anvil. Hurrah for fans.

What’s unwelcome, however, was the unruly behaviour of fans inside theatres: There were instances where many set off firecrackers inside cinema halls during Tiger 3 screening. Salman had to request his fans not to indulge in such acts.

Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani and Anil Sharma’s Gadar 2 broke the box office too. The former was quite progressive in challenging patriarchal order in joint families, where individuality is frowned upon and ambition (especially that of women) is nipped in the bud. Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh put up fine performances and were ably supported by Dharmendra and Shabana Azmi. Gadar 2 followed Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001) in terms of the theme. Tara Singh’s (Sunny Deol) highly successful comeback made fans happy and reaffirmed the fact that Indian audiences have a tremendous appetite for patriotic films.

The Kerala Story, Tu Jhoothi Main Makkar, and OMG 2 were other box office hits of the year. Kerala Story attracted significant controversy due to its subject matter, while loyal Ranbir fans made Tu Jhoothi… a hit. The unusual subject of sexual education in schools in OMG 2 was warmly accepted by the audiences, with Pankaj Tripathi winning accolades.

The biggest controversy of the year, though, was yet to come.

Animal has become the fourth-biggest hit of 2023 after Jawan, Pathaan, and Gadar 2. However, it angered several sections of the audience. Simply put, Animal glorifies the protagonist’s (Rannvijay, played by Ranbir Kapoor) hypermasculinity and justifies misogyny and sadistic behaviour by attributing them to an insecure childhood. Rannvijay shows no remorse till the very end. Animal offended women and some Sikhs and Muslims too. Nonetheless, it continues to draw crowds going gaga over Ranbir Kapoor and Bobby Deol, action sequences, as well as the popular songs Arjan Veilly and Jamal Kudu.

Amid these blockbusters came Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s beautiful film 12^th Fail, which had a limited release in multiple languages. Audiences, who were expecting the usual spectacular Vidhu Vinod Chopra film, were pleasantly surprised with its humble, non-massy theme. The entire cast, led by Vikrant Massey, who plays a UPSC aspirant, performed brilliantly. Called the ‘sleeper hit of the year’, 12th Fail independently entered the Academy Awards. Its success demonstrated the power of word-of-mouth publicity.

Some other great productions

Other films of 2023 that merit mention are Vishal Bhardwaj’s Khufiya, a Netflix release, Anubhav Sinha’s Bheed, which shifted to OTT early from its theatrical run, and Sudhir Mishra’s Afwaah. While Khufiya was a spy story based on a real-life incident involving a R&AW agent, Bheed brought to the screen some touching stories of the long and arduous journeys made by migrants during the Covid lockdown. Afwaah tackled the issue of how fake news creates rifts among communities. Consummate actor Manoj Bajpayee had two theatrical releases that did modest business: Sirf Ek Banda Kaafi Hai and Joram. Another OTT release, Gulmohar, was appreciated too.

I also enjoyed Zwigato, in which Kapil Sharma displayed his acting chops; Sujoy Ghosh’s whodunit Jaane Jaan, which featured the terrific trio of Kareena Kapoor, Jaideep Ahlawat, and Vijay Varma; Faraaz, in which Shashi Kapoor’s grandson Zahan made his debut; the biopic Tarla in which Huma Qureshi played the titular role. Jaideep also acted in Three of Us with Shefali Shah and Swanand Kirkire.

With directors like Vishal Bhardwaj and Hansal Mehta now making original content for OTT platforms (such as the web series Charlie Chopra and Scam 2003 respectively), it seems this trend is here to stay. These directors are making excellent content that viewers prefer to watch in their drawing rooms. Directors have also understood that to draw audiences into the theatres, you need completely different content from that in web series. A Pathaan or Jawan has to be designed to appeal to audiences who want pure entertainment, for whom watching a film with their families is a welcome break from their dull routines. These audiences also want spectacle, action, and larger-than-life heroes, and the new Shah Rukh Khan gave them exactly that. These two films broke the myth that negative campaigns on social media can significantly affect box office fortunes of a film. They also proved that marketing campaigns have to evolve with time and that merely blowing up money on big events and lavish premieres as was the wont in the past will no longer save the day. Besides giving interviews in print and media, directors and actors have shifted to other platforms such as YouTube channels. Bulk bookings by fan clubs and corporates have worked in favour of recent releases.

The nepotism debate gathered steam once again in 2023. The Archies came in for a lot of criticism, with some viewers calling it Zoya Akhtar’s gift to “nepo-babies”. Ironical, since the face-off between the sons of Dharmendra and Rishi Kapoor in Animal was loved by audiences. Ranbir and Bobby were launched with great fanfare — Bobby Deol in Rajkumar Santoshi’s Barsaat in 1995 and Ranbir Kapoor in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Saawariya in 2007. Their female co-stars, Twinkle Khanna and Sonam Kapoor, failed to make their mark, which proves that regardless of whether star kids get a grand launch, only the talented ones survive in the long run. As viewers, we may enjoy the film and judge it on its merits rather than focus on whose son or daughter is headlining it.

Suhana Khan, Agastya Nanda, and Khushi Kapoor had a low-key launch with The Archies. Despite a weak script and a dull first half, all the debutants (including the non-nepo kids) were charming and affable. While the film was not strictly faithful to the comics, and the characters were uni-dimensional and boring, the film was a refreshing change from all the action and bloodshed-packed movies of the year.

The year that started with an SRK megahit is ending with another SRK hit. Rajkumar Hirani’s Dunki is on its way to becoming one of the biggest hits of 2023. The issue of illegal immigration is a serious one in the northern state of Punjab, and Dunki is the only Hindi film other than Dev Anand’s Des Pardes (1978) that throws light upon this subject.

Indian audiences also warmed up to some Hollywood films this year. The two most talked-about Hollywood films were Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, which were released on the same day. #Barbenheimer and related memes trended all over social media for months.

Watching films in theatres demands the observance of basic social etiquette. As we throng theatres once again, we must remember to respect the rights of others to view films in peace. Some Delhites (and other Indians) probably bought Oppenheimer tickets hoping to get a bang for their buck. These fans were probably expecting a spectacle. Unfortunately, other than the psychedelic images that appeared on the screen whenever a quantum mechanics theory was discussed, the only spectacular scene in terms of light and sound effects was the test sequence, which was over in around 15 minutes. The last hour of Oppenheimer was completely different, gripping but devoid of spectacle. That’s when the film takes a neat turn and becomes a deep exploration of American politics. And that’s when a group of Delhi men started displaying their boorish behaviour, two rows behind me. They kept talking loudly and disturbing others. One could hear girls cackling away during scenes of depositions before boards and committees. These disturbances apart, I enjoyed the film. Superb music, crisp editing, excellent lighting, sound and related technical support, and flawless performances by the whole cast, ably led by Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr, have made this film a landmark movie.

Watching Barbie was a cathartic experience for many women. I cried, along with many women in the theatre, when Barbie (Margot Robbie) said to Gloria (America Ferrera): “I came for you! (And not your daughter)”. The film appealed to the little girl trapped inside every working woman who is constantly struggling with work-life balance. The writing is sharp and witty. Ken (Ryan Gosling) has the best lines, one of which is this: “When I found out that patriarchy wasn’t really about horses, I lost interest anyway.” The film highlights the insecurities of all human beings. Ken has an identity crisis; for a while, he supports patriarchy because it makes him feel important.

Indian audiences lapped up these Hollywood films and were hungry for more. Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, despite its long duration and slow pace, had a good run in India owing to its terrific plot, superb music, brilliant cinematography and stand-out performances by Lily Gladstone, Robert De Niro, and Leonardo De Caprio. De Niro and De Caprio seem to have a solid fan base in India.

In 2023, audiences opened their hearts and wallets to Bollywood and Hollywood films. We connected with these stories, laughed and cried with the characters. It’s been a good year at the movies. Here’s hoping for a good 2024.