In search of a 'good' film: What do frequent Southern remakes convey about Hindi cinema?

There is a weekend puzzle. Two film buffs meet. From an impulsive and emotional decision, today, these two friends discuss the very decision of watching a film in a theatre. Sample this conversation:

Person A asks: Do you want to watch X (a Hindi film)?
Person B says: I don’t think it will be worth the time.

Person A, knowing that his friend is right, still, in a persuasive tone and blinking his right eye, says: Let us give it (the ritual of watching Hindi films in theatre) another chance
Person B: I think it will neither be half-decent nor so bad that we will enjoy it thoroughly.

Person A, after patiently giving a thought to what Person B said, says: Even I don’t want to watch X.
Person B, after a brief pause, says: The ticket price does not even justify the fare. You can buy a monthly subscription of a streaming platform and watch X on it. It is just a matter of time.

Person A, without a pause, asks: Then, what do we do in the evening?
They watch X. They discuss the flaws of X with infectious and relatable honesty, vigour, intensity and conviction—all of these sorely missing in the film they watched. This is a regular weekend occurrence.

In the past forty years, Hindi cinema has dealt with several invasions. It started with the onslaught of Video Cassette Recorder (VCR). Then, there was mushrooming of cable television. Over the years, the monster of ‘piracy’ continues to remain a concern. Yet, Hindi cinema has successfully dealt with these invasions.

But, today, Hindi cinema is dealing with a different invasion. It is more internal than external. It is the ‘mindset’ of a viewer. Both persons A and B did not want to watch X. They evaluate the film in terms of value-for-money fare. And due to lack of a good alternative to watching a film, they watch X. They represent an increasing audience which is losing its unreserved and uncritical love for Hindi cinema.

Instead, viewers are appreciating and recommending more southern films. Also, such has been the increasing influence of southern films that currently there are at least forty films from the Southern languages which are being remade (into production) in Hindi. This is the highest number of southern remakes in a year in the past ten years, point out trade analysts.

Given these facts, a natural question which arises is: What do increasing acceptance and growing number of re-makes of southern films convey about Hindi cinema? An approach which can address this question is: to understand what is working for southern films and what is not working for Hindi films in recent years. Let us understand this in detail:

Sense and Sensibility
The trend of re-making of Southern films in Hindi has a long history. A Hindi film which can be considered to be an early re-make of a southern film is the Tamil historical film Chandralekha (1948). S S Vasan, the owner of Gemini Studios, first made 'Chandralekha' in Tamil in April 1948. The film was an expensive affair. Even though it was appreciated for its stunning sets, visuals, and vision, the film was not a box office success. S S Vasan remade the Tamil film into Hindi with certain changes suitable for Hindi film audience in the same year in December. The film was a box office success. It was the first Tamil film or a Southern production which was distributed throughout India. The film's success showed that a film produced by south-based producers can be a box office success across India.

An aspect which distinguishes the present from the past is: today most mainstream actors and actresses and even big production houses and studios are re-making films made in southern languages in Hindi. This aspect as to why southern films are working requires careful examination.

Ameya Naik, founder, Fantasy Events, an event management company, says, "There is an anecdote which genius director Howard Hawks shared in an interview with the film magazine Sight and Sound. The person who produced Hawks' first film said: 'Look, you have shown you can make a picture, but for God’s sake go out and make entertainment.' Hindi film-makers, it seems, have forgotten the art of making ‘entertaining’ films." He adds, "I see two main diseases in the Hindi film industry right now. There is almost a blind and stubborn focus on ‘realism’ and ‘logic’. South-based producers and directors have stayed away from these two diseases. Instead, they have honed and mastered the art of making ‘entertaining’ films."

Film scholars point out that realism is not a part of the grammar of Hindi films. Sriram Karunanidhan, a retired professor who taught Indian Literature and Aesthetics, says, "Realism is a part of western ways of telling stories. You look at our epics, and folk literature. There is not much realism in them. We have a tradition of stories which contain nine rasas (emotions) or Navarasa. Southern films follow this tradition to the hilt." This aspect can be understood with an example. 'Pushpa : The Rise (Part I)', which released in mid-December last year, is an example of a Southern film which contains elements of Navarasa or nine emotions. These nine emotions emerge in 'Pushpa : The Rise (Part I)' in such a manner that none of them becomes a dominant theme. This makes the film thoroughly entertaining and minimises the possibility of dull moments.

The film begins by evoking Veer Rasa (valour) and Adbhuta Rasa (wonder) as the hero Pushpa Raj outsmarts the police by successfully hiding sandalwood, earns trust of his employer, and rises through the ranks from a coolie to a partner with his own employer Konda Reddy. We also see elements of Veer Rasa (valour) in the scene in which Pushpa Raj does not rise when the owner of the factory enters. Then, the film switches to Shringara Rasa (romantic love) as Pushpa Raj is attracted to Srivalli. In this segment, there emerges a certain amount of Hasya Rasa (humour) as Pushpa Raj tries various antics to woo Srivalli. There emerges Raudra Rasa (anger) in the film as Pushpa Raj's step-brother humiliates him by informing people that Pusha Raj is born out of wedlock. Pushpa's engagement with Srivalli is called off. Then, the sentiment of Karuna Rasa (compassion) gains prominence in the film when Pushpa Raj promptly understands the dilemma of Srivalli and protects her honour from Jolly Reddy who kidnaps her father.

The film’s concluding scenes which involve high-decibel confrontation between Pushpa and the new district Superintendent of police Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat evoke Bhayanaka Rasa (fear) as Pushpa feels a sense of helplessness and powerlessness in front of the ruthless cop Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat. At the end of the film, the sentiment of Beebhatsa Rasa (disgust) is evoked as Pushpa takes his revenge for insulting him by sending Shekhawat to his house without his police uniform. In this manner, the film became ‘universal’.

In fact, the film, which was made in the budget of Rs 70-100 crore, recorded Rs 365 crore at the box office across languages. The film’s Hindi-dubbed version alone made over Rs100 crore. This is impressive considering that it released alongside the big-budget Hindi film ''83'. ''83', which did not perform well at the box office, was backed by big names in the Hindi and southern film industries.

In this context, Kunal Churi, a professional photographer, points out, “Southern film-makers are focusing on stories. These are the stories which I can tell my niece and she will be engaged throughout even without even watching those films. Southern films such as 'Pushpa : The Rise (Part I)', 'K.G.F: Chapter 1' or even 'Kumbalangi Nights' are stories first and then they are made into films.”

Industry insiders point out that southern directors and actors are invested fully not only in their films but also in their cultures. This has earned them loyalty of their audiences. Srinivasan Ramakrishnan, a student studying script writing course, says, “Southern directors write their films. Generally, a director in the south writes a complete script— story, screenplay, and dialogues. So, a director is completely invested. Secondly, actors and actresses are connected to their culture. They celebrate festivals with their fans or address their issues in their films in an entertaining manner.” Suresh Iyer, a film buff who lives in Coimbatore, Chennai says, "These engagements of Southern actors or stars are not done with the motive of promoting films. They genuinely want to connect with their fans.” He adds, “Even, the commitment of southern actors to their films is total. Take for instance, Actor Allu Arjun. He invested two years for the film 'Pushpa: The Rise (Part I)'. He learnt the Telugu accent of Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. Audiences immediately connected with him. In today’s Hindi films, few actors show this kind of commitment.”

A scriptwriter who requested anonymity says, “The commitment of southern actors starts with story narration. They are present in the narration. Unlike this, in Hindi film industry, there are stars who send their managers and agents for story narrations. A story or script reaches an actor only if these managers and agents like it. This speaks a lot about the commitment of Hindi film actors.”

Southern films also score well on creative control. Southern directors have higher creative control than Hindi film-makers. This gives them an edge as they follow their own vision with conviction. This is a key reason for their success. Venkatesh Subramaniam, a film studies student, points out, “Southern film directors write their stories. So, a writer of a southern film is duly acknowledged and paid fairly and promptly.” He adds, “In the Hindi film industry, there is a separate writer—who is highly underpaid—who writes a script. Then a director is brought in and given the film. The director has no natural conviction in the film.” He further adds, “SS Rajamouli’s Telugu film 'Eega' (The Fly) (2012) is about a lover who takes rebirth as a fly and seeks revenge on the man who killed him. This story may seem illogical and silly for Hindi film-makers. But it is Rajamouli’s conviction in the story which worked. The film which was made in the budget of Rs 25-40 crore made Rs 120-130 crore at the box office.”

In the past decade, subtitling of southern films in English and their dubbing in Hindi have also contributed to their success. Navendra Singh, a film buff, says, “It is not an aberration or an abrupt development that the Telugu film 'Pushpa: The Rise (Part I)' has worked. There was a following for actor Allu Arjun even in the northern part of India much before 'Pushpa: The Rise (Part I)'. Thanks to YouTube and television channels, audiences in the northern India are familiar with southern stars by watching their films dubbed in Hindi.” He adds, “Hindi audience’s hunger for entertaining films has been satisfied by southern films dubbed in Hindi. Today, my friends are aware of southern actors such as Fahadh Faasil, Mahesh Babu, Dhanush, or Vijay Sethupati.” He adds, “Today, you go to a hair salon in a middle class area in Mumbai. People either watch a southern film dubbed in Hindi or sports. This is the extent of penetration of southern films.”

Another key reason why southern films dubbed in Hindi are working with Hindi-speaking audiences is their themes which are relatable. Nitin Salvi, a supervisor at a leading travel company says, “I watched Tamil film 'Irumbu Thirai' (2018) dubbed in Hindi. The name of the dubbed version of the Tamil film is 'The Return of Abhimanyu'. It is a story of an army officer who catches a gang of hackers who steal money from his bank account. Now, this theme is so relevant and relatable today. And it is so different from the stories in Hindi films today.” He adds, “Importantly, actors in Southern films look the part they play. And that makes their films more credible and relatable.”

The makers of southern films have also intelligently promoted their films. Mahesh Nair, a film buff, points out, “Southern film-makers are not merely dubbing their films in Hindi. They market their films so well. A case in the point is the recent super hit film RRR. The tagline of the film is about experiencing the magic of Indian cinema. The film’s director S S Rajamouli did not promote the film as a story of two Indian revolutionaries. He refrained from using South Indian names of the two revolutionaries. These names might not have connected with the North Indian audience. Instead, the film was promoted as a story of two friends. This made the film universal.”

Even the approach of southern actors to roles has been more effective than their Hindi counterparts. Critics point out that southern actors want to serve the story of a film and not indulge in roles. This is true even when they produce their own films. Keshavan Menon, a film buff and a finance professional, says, "In south, it is so much about the story of a film. Take for instance, Malayalam actor Fahadh Faasil. When he produces a film he casts actors who are suitable for roles. He is comfortable that he does not play the protagonist in the conventional sense. In the film Kumbalangi Nights, it is clear he is interested in the emotional arc and depth of the character rather than its length. This is not the case with Hindi film actors."

These factors explain why the remaking of Southern films has become such a prominent trend in the Hindi film industry in recent years. Research firms have observed that close to 50% of the audience who watch southern films live outside the southern states. On the whole, southern films also have an advantage of a defined geography and literature which contributes to their success. In the case of a Hindi film, there is a large and diverse audience which increases the responsibility of Hindi film-makers to identify engaging stories. Hindi film-makers are unable to do so.

The 'Akrasia' Syndrome
Scriptwriters and film scholars consider the declining quality of Hindi films a bigger problem than competition from Southern films. A scriptwriter who requested anonymity says, "There is no significant change in the way Southern films are being made. The problem lies with Hindi films. They have become so bad that southern films look good when compared to them." Sriram Karunanidhan, a retired professor who taught Indian Literature and Aesthetics, says, "The Hindi film industry has been suffering from 'Akrasia' syndrome.Akrasia' is a condition in which a person knows what is best for her but she does something else. This has been happening in the Hindi film industry for years now. The industry knows the problems. They know how to resolve it. But instead of resolving those problems, they are seeking short-term solutions somewhere else."

Since the re-opening of theatres post the pandemic, 71% of the Hindi films released in theatres have flopped. To understand why Hindi films have performed so poorly at the box office in recent months, one has to understand the situation in three distinct aspects: the financing side (individual producers, studios and family-owned production houses), the creative side and the audiences.

a) Financing side
To seek finance is a perennial challenge in film-making. Stakes are high when it comes to financing a Hindi film given the high cost of production and undefined audience. Today, the only and important difference is the change in the approach of film-making and the quality of people who have the power to green light films.

According to scriptwriters, industry insiders and directors, the culture of film-making and the quality of people have changed. A scriptwriter who has been in the Hindi film industry for close to a decade on the condition of anonymity says, “Today, what I see around is not ‘film-making.’ It is ‘project-making.’ A star is available. A studio or producer is ready to finance. A non-Hindi film which has worked and whose rights are available. Now, let us make a Hindi film. This is how Hindi films are being made.” He adds, “It has become more of a ‘business’ rather than the art and passion of telling stories.”

Another scriptwriter who requested anonymity says, “People who finance films want to make money even before the film is made and released. They do calculations in terms of how much they would earn in selling rights, promotions, advertising and tie-ups with brands. A film goes on the floor only when these people are sure that the film can recover money.”

A film director, who has been working in the Hindi film industry for the past five years, says, “People who finance films do not understand creativity. They have studied in business schools. They analyse films as ‘projects.’ They want to crack or create a business model to churn out money-spinners. There are too many of them.” He adds, “Everyone in this culture wants to justify his or her presence. Their suggestions and recommendations are not at all germane in making a film’s story more interesting and engaging. It is a case of too many cooks spoil the broth.” He shares an experience of shooting a film. He says, “We were shooting a scene in a mid shot angle. Suddenly, a person from the financing side who was present on the film’s set shouted, “Cut”. We were surprised. The person said the character forgot to wear shoes. The person did not know that a mid shot angle does not cover the character’s legs”

He explains, “Earlier there was single producer who understood creative elements of film-making. The decision to finance a film rests with him only. Today, there are layers of people between the decision makers and the people from creative side of a film. He says, “Today directing a film has become more difficult than earlier times. There is a film in a director’s mind. And there is a dynamic film which people from the financing side keep suggesting. Eventually, what comes on the screen is a water-down version of a director’s vision. Southern film-makers do not face these challenges.”

An assistant film director who has worked in the industry for over a decade shares, “We have heard from veterans in the industry how things have changed. Earlier, a director would start the narration of a film stating that, “Film Ki Kahaani Aisi Hain” Today, it starts with a package. Except for the story of a film, this package includes everything.” He adds, “No wonder acclaimed film-maker Rahul Rawail in his book on legendary film-maker Raj Kapoor called Raj Kapoor: The Master at Work has used the expression “assembling films” to describe today’s film-making.”

b) Creative side
The challenges on the creative side of film-making are not understood well or duly acknowledged. A film critic on the condition of anonymity says, “In recent months, there have been continuous discussions about southern films outshining Hindi films. I think this line of thought is fallacious. Only larger-than-life southern films are performing better than Hindi films. One has to realise that only re-makes of larger-than-life southern films in Hindi work. There are many Southern films—which are not larger-than-life—whose re-makes or even dubbing in Hindi have not worked at all.” Haricharan Pudipeddi, independent journalist who reports on the southern cinema, explains, "Largely, the southern film industry makes two kinds of cinema. One: rooted in a southern state’s culture. Two: films which are not rooted in a state’s culture. Films which have no roots in a state’s culture are larger-than-life and are being re-made in Hindi.”

This begs the question: Why then Hindi films, which are not re-makes of Southern films, are not working? Benson Mathew, a former banking professional and a film buff says, “The important thing to note is that Hindi film-makers have been unable to make a good film in any genre in recent years.” He explains, “The other day, in a very casual way, I asked my hired domestic help about a Hindi film which she liked in recent times. She said: Pushpa: The Rise. She did not realise it was a Telugu film. And if people from a low income group do not remember watching a ‘good’ Hindi for a long time, then it is a serious thing.” He adds, “I think this is the fundamental issue which is missing in the discussion about Southern versus Hindi films. In South, not only larger-than-life but also mid-and-small budget films are working. In south, stories and writers are valued more than to the mere presence of a star. A film in the south starts shooting only after enough work is done on a story and the writing of a film. This is not the case in the Hindi film industry.”

In recent years, the Hindi film industry is yet again facing the same problem which it has been ducking or never resolved fully for years. The problem is the industry’s almost stubborn reluctance to acknowledge and cultivate writers and give them their due importance. A film director, requesting anonymity, explains, “Today, audiences are not accepting Hindi films. There is a subtle difference between a flop film and a film which is not accepted. A film, which may not be seen by audiences, is considered a flop. But there is a possibility that such a film may be appreciated by future generation or after some years of its release. Take for instance, director Rajkumar Santoshi’s film Andaz Apna Apna. It was a flop after its release. But today it is a cult film in the comedy genre. But when audiences do not accept a film it means they have watched and disliked it.”

Trade analyst Atul Mohan says, “The Hindi film industry has not given importance to the role of writers. What is done for the survival of writers?” Film producer and trade analyst Girish Johar points out, “Hindi film writers are paid much lower than southern writers. It shows that writers are valued more in the Southern film industry.”

According to the industry’s estimates, on average, Hindi film writers get 1-2% for a film whose budget is Rs100 crore. As opposed to this, for the same budget, southern film writers are paid 3-8%. Film producer analyst Girish Johar, shares “Recently, writers of a Malayalam film were paid as high as 15% of the film’s total budget. This is the extent to which southern film-makers value their writers. This shows that southern film-makers are more interested in telling stories rather than project-making.” Trade analyst Atul Mohan notes, “Even southern technicians are paid more than their Hindi counterparts.”

A veteran scriptwriter on the condition of anonymity says, “The Hindi film industry exploits writers a lot. They underpay writers. A fact which makes matters worse for writers is they are not even paid on time.” Film director and scriptwriter Shibu Sable explains, “Writers are the most vulnerable lot in the various departments of film-making. Not many know that writers are paid mostly in the end.”

A scriptwriter who wished to be unnamed said, “Nowadays, financiers buy rights of a story, which is written by someone. After that, screenplay and dialogues are written by some other person. And this results in bad writing in Hindi films. So, the key thing is writers are not given enough freedom to think independently and come up with original scripts.” He adds, “This is the reason why audiences find repetitive themes of biography or factual entertainment (films based on true events) in Hindi cinema. To a great extent, the role of writers in the Hindi film industry has been reduced to writing just screenplay and dialogues.”

In this context, film director and scriptwriter Shibu Sable explains, “We should not forget that the Angry Young Man character was thought and written first by Salim-Javed and then it synced well with great actor Amitabh Bachchan’s persona. Even a commercially successful director Manmohan Desai valued writers. In writer Sidharth Bhatia’s book Amar Akbar Anthony: Masala, Madness, Manmohan Desai, Kader Khan shares that director Manmohan Desai was so impressed with his story narration and dialogues that he offered him Rs 1.25 lakh, a portable Toshiba television set and a gold bracelet. This is the early 1970s. This is how writers were valued, unlike today.” He adds, “Writing is the backbone of film-making. If the main food item of a dish is not cooked well, then no amount of garnishing will make the dish tasty. This is the essence of today’s Hindi films.”

Scholars lament that the approach of adapting literature is also not explored well in the Hindi film industry. This is an approach which has elongated film careers of great directors. Maheshwari Murdeshwar, an assistant professor of English Literature at a college in Mumbai notes, “There is literature in almost every Indian language. I don’t understand why we don’t see cinematic and personal adaptations of a short story or a novel in Hindi cinema.”

Film scholars attribute the continuous failure of Hindi films to the quality of people both on creative and financing sides. Dr Piyush Roy, film scholar and Dean, School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, RV University, Bengaluru, says, “Cinema is all about rich and varied experiences. It is important to understand why old Hindi films hold even today. Artists from different geographies of India came to Mumbai to make films. We had writers and poets from the northern India, music directors and film directors from the eastern India and producers and financiers from the western India. So, it was a beautiful confluence of people who carried within themselves rich and varied experiences of life. They conveyed these experiences in their works. Most Hindi film-makers, today, were born and brought up in Mumbai only. One wonders what experiences they have acquired to share with audiences.”

Even producers of old Hindi films had a distinct and clear understanding of creativity in film-making. They backed stories. Kaliprasad Chakraborty, a retired film studies professor, notes, “Producers of great Hindi films were mostly individuals. They were sole decision-makers, unlike today. Consider the producer N C Sippy for instance. He produced most great films of Hrishikesh Mukherjee. These films were not at all commercial potboilers. They were great stories. And N C Sippy had taste and understanding of these stories. Today, I doubt people from the financing side would even think of producing such stories.”

Industry insiders inform that today’s Hindi films are not being made in the age-old tradition of single vision of a director. A film director requesting anonymity, says, “Leave aside challenges from the financing side, today, people even on the creative side behave like independent creators. Cinematographers, editors and others in key departments of film-making have become superstars in their own right. They function like directors of their respective departments. There is no singular vision which flows from one department of film-making to another. And to make matters worse, stars continue to dictate how a film will shape up. This is one of the reasons why narratives of today’s Hindi films are not coherent enough to engage.”

c) Audience
Today, there is a new audience. They are exposed to almost non-stop doses of entertainment in various forms. More so, the pandemic has changed the tastes of audiences. Keshavan Menon, a film buff and finance professional, says, “I don’t remember any time in the history of entertainment in which audiences had instantaneous access to several means of audio-visual entertainment. Today, the very definition of ‘entertainment’ has changed considerably. There are Instagram reels, video hosting service TikTok, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube videos which take care, to a certain degree, ‘basic’ entertainment of viewers.” He adds, “Then, there is copious content on streaming platforms. Viewers have access to a film or web series made not only in Indian languages but also in non-Indian languages. Importantly, viewers can watch any content in the language of their preference. This has changed the tastes, knowledge and benchmark of audiences. And audiences are using these changed ‘benchmarks’ to watch today’s Hindi films.” He further explains, “Audiences are disappointed. Today, a Hindi film even if it has a big star does not even have a decent opening on the day it is released. Earlier films would flop after they had some opening and then audience’s interest fizzled out. Audiences do not want a convincing ‘hook’ to go to theatres. They want a solid ‘story’ to stay in theatres. This is because there is a cost attached to it and it is not cheap at all.”

Today, audiences take the decision to watch a film in a theatre after watching the trailer or teaser of a Hindi film. Ameya Sane, an Information Technology (IT) professional and a film buff, notes, “Today, audiences watch a Hindi film in theatres only after they have loved a film’s trailer. If they don’t like the trailer of a film they would wait and watch the film on a streaming platform.” He adds, “Also today the element of mystery around stars has worn off because of high exposure to them. So, audiences are more curious about a film’s story today rather than the star of a film.”

Agreeing with these observations, Ram Reddy, finance professional and a film buff explains, “Today, audiences accept a film which scores well on two key parameters. Either the film tells a different story engagingly or a similar story charmingly and engagingly. The increasing success of the recently released small-budget Telugu adventure thriller film Karthikeya 2 even in Hindi dubbed version is a case in the point. This is despite the fact that there are big films such as Laal Singh Chaddha and Raksha Bandhan running in theatres.” Film-maker and scriptwriter Shibu Sable shares, “Today, audiences are more likely to appreciate an ‘honest’ film than a so-called ‘good’ film which has good business potential. This is because an ‘honest’ film, largely, emanates from the heart, conviction and passion of a film-maker.”

In the coming years
Industry’s experts believe that the ‘real’ test of whether the Hindi film industry has learnt its lessons is to watch those films which have started shooting post the pandemic. Ameya Naik, founder of event management company Fantasy Films says, “Most films which have flopped in recent months were shot before the pandemic. In the pre-pandemic phase a decent or not-so-bad film worked. But post the pandemic such films wouldn't work at all.”

Trade analysts point out that post the pandemic the concept of re-making of Southern films may not be as profitable as it was pre-pandemic. A trade analyst, who wished to be unnamed, says, “Southern producers are aware of potential profits a southern re-make makes in non-southern markets. Southern producers have been selling rights of re-makes for a small sum of Rs2-3 crore to Hindi producers. Given the massive profits so many Southern re-makes in Hindi have made, recently, southern producers want an equal share in box office revenues and other rights associated with their film.”

Also the success of the dubbed version of Telugu film Pushpa: The Rise (Part I) in Hindi is likely to change the business dynamics for Hindi film-makers. Southern film-makers are considering their dubbed Hindi version seriously. “Today, dubbing and subtitling of southern films have become a serious business. Southern makers want their films to reach more viewers,” explains a trade analyst requesting anonymity. Due to this trend, the business potential of re-making southern films in Hindi may not be attractive to Hindi film financiers. Hari Nair, a finance professional, points out, “If Hindi film audience has already watched a southern film dubbed in Hindi and liked it, then why would they watch the same film’s re-make in theatres?”

The box office performance of recent southern re-makes in Hindi supports this line of thought. Manish Shah, founder and director of Goldmine Telefilms, a YouTube channel, which shows southern films dubbed in Hindi, says, “Recent southern re-makes have not worked. Films such as Bachchan Pandey, Jersey and HIT: The First Case have flopped. Since people have either watched or have access to these films in original southern languages, why would they watch them in Hindi in theatres and spend two thousand rupees?” He adds, “The culture of re-making southern films in Hindi is declining day by day. In the coming years, southern film-makers will simultaneously release their Hindi dubbed version along with the film in original language across geographies. Producers in the Hindi film industry have to at least make films from sources other than already made films. In the coming years, the industry will acknowledge and give writers’ their dues to survive and thrive.”

Analysts foresee that southern and Hindi film-makers may collaborate on fresh projects instead of re-makes. A trade analyst, requesting anonymity, says, “There will be collaborations between Southern film-makers and Hindi film financiers. It is a simple strategy: If you cannot fight them then join them. So, in this strategy, creativity will come from the south and the stars or faces in a film will be a mix of Hindi and southern film stars.” He adds, “The upcoming Hindi film Liger (2022) is the case in point. It is directed and written by Telugu director Puri Jagannadh and produced by Karan Johar. It has southern star Vijay Deverakonda and Hindi film star Ananya Panday. This makes a Hindi film pan-India.”

Hindi film-makers have to consider a few things in order to bring back the audience to theatres. One is to make films bearing in mind the Middle Class and the poor to a certain extent. Suhel Khan, a stand-up comedian and writer says, “A large part of ticket sales of films comes from the Middle Class. I hardly see convincing stories of the Middle Class families in Hindi films. One cannot ignore the Middle Class. The rich and the elite do not go to theatres. They do not have an unwritten rule of watching films on weekends. They are selective in watching films in theatres.” He adds, “The Middle Class loves relatable and larger-than-life stories. It is assumed that commercial cinema is ‘thoughtless’ cinema. This is an incorrect understanding. You look at films such as 'Deewar' (1975), 'Sholay' (1975) or 'Ghayal' (1990) or even the recent one 'K.G.F Chapter 2' (2022). These films are entertaining. And these films require high amount of thinking and imagination. They are not about conforming to a template which is in vogue. They follow a clear rule: How to make that which is familiar: 'fresh', 'engaging' and 'charming'.”

Piyush Roy, film scholar and Dean, School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, RV University, Bengaluru presents a sociological perspective and explains, “As the Indian society progresses from an undeveloped phase to developed, profiles and concerns of audiences also change. Today, audiences which comprise largely the Middle Class want films which provide entertainment along with intellectually stimulating experiences. Earlier, the concerns of audiences were food, clothing and shelter. These are no longer concerns of the audiences, today.” Roy adds, “Multi-starrer films which worked in the 1970s can work even today. Stars have to accommodate by charging fees which are reasonable to producers. Besides multi-starrer films, a trend of literary adaptations in Hindi may also emerge.”

Industry watchers attribute the poor performance of Hindi films in recent years to a sense of complacency among makers. A film director who wished to be unnamed says, “The emergence of streaming platforms has made Hindi film-makers complacent. Earlier, Hindi film-makers had a certain amount of nervousness and fear about how their films would fare in theatres. The nervousness and fear made them more responsible in making films. Today, deals with streaming platforms fetch producers a reasonable amount. This has made some film-makers complacent. They think if Plan A—box office performance of films—does not work, then there is Plan B—sell it to streaming platforms and earn money.” He adds, “Even after a string of flops, the priorities of producers in the Hindi film industry are not clear. They want Hindi films to run for eight weeks in theatres before they are released on streaming platforms. But if stories of films are not good, then who will watch them even if they run in theatres?”

Veteran scriptwriters are of the view that stories based on experiences when told with full conviction and passion are largely received well by audiences. A veteran scriptwriter who wished to be unnamed, explains, “The industry has to identify writers who have experiences and who are passionate about sharing those experiences. If that is not the case, those who are working must focus on their experiences with utmost honesty and conviction and write stories about them. One cannot imagine, assume, romanticise or insert ideology in some real experiences. Viewers who have experienced those experiences don't feel or connect with them.” He adds, “It is important to understand why films which are considered to be part of a specific geography don't work there but work in urban centres? Are we making films only for urban viewers?”

Importantly, film scholars and buffs stress on the fact that Hindi film-makers must go back to the grammar which distinguished Hindi films from western films. This will help them secure a long and meaningful innings in the entertainment business. It is all about the tradition of storytelling over the years. Kunal Churi, a professional photographer, says, “We may see two situations emerging in the coming years. Either the industry sees a new breed of artists in key departments of film-making or established artists begin to focus on good stories and their presentations. Ultimately, it is all about stories.” He concludes, “There is a beautiful quote of the legendary theatre actor Sir John Gielgud. Gielgud says, “We need stories to live. We need to tell stories to survive. I am looking for the story, and so is the audience, and if I have ever connected with anyone in the theatre, it is because we searched for the same story and we found it--together." This is what the audience wants. Not just TODAY, but ALL the time.”