Lots of Bollywood films have failed to create the magic at the box-office of late. Even the biggest stars of the Indian cinema, like Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar failed to bring crowds to the cinema halls. This sudden change in consumer behaviour has started worrying filmmakers and producers.  I think the Indian film industry has to rethink its strategies now. At the same time, so many web series on OTT platforms have done wonders. They managed to entertain Indian audiences. “Panchayat” series on Amazon Prime is one of them, which has made the audience laugh and clap despite the absence of stars.  I also feel that the Indian audience have become more content driven now. A good content attracts audience.  

I feel Bollywood needs to think what they are best at and they should stick to that only. Or they can go back to the old template like the song and dance format or bring good stories. Bollywood needs to introspect itself now. Audiences have changed. They have more choices. The Covid-19 pandemic has made the Indian audience king. They have more options now. They are not dependent only on Bollywood films for the entertainment, so many OTT platforms are entertaining them nicely.

Shakeeb Haider,
By email