Ten trends that will define Indian cinema in 2015

Nothing defines socio-cultural trends in India as films do. Our films and filmwatching habits have over the years succinctly portrayed how the nation thinks and reacts, whether we are in a happy mood or an angry one. Its growth from a national pastime to an obsession that woos Indian and NRI audiences alike has made Bollywood the world’s biggest film industry. As 2015 approaches, the movers and shakers of Hindi cinema gear up to face the challenges that come with an audience getting more discerning than ever. The past few years have given the broad hint that this is the time for change in Hindi films — that the hackneyed, formulaic approach towards filmmaking will not do anymore. This has also been an exciting time for the crossover movie, with the genre letting a bright pool of budding filmmakers experiment with themes as never before. 

As starry vehicles gunning for the Rs 100-crore-plus glory battle for audience attention, the Hindi film industry is fast becoming a playground for all kinds of cinema to be part of the game at the same time.

With shifting audience tastes dictating novelty in content, film watching patterns must also change. The prediction is 2015 will be the year when the megaplex — giant multiplexes with 10 screens or more — gets going for Bollywood buffs.

Happy watching!

Vision Versus Moolah

Filmmaking, at the end of the day, is about good ideas and not about how much money is being spent. While a lot is said about budgets and Rs 100 crore-plus boxoffice stats driving the business, every producer knows that cinema is ultimately about expressing a vision. Even if you look at the biggest hits that have ever been made, you realise these films are special because they are as unique as a fingerprint or a signature.

Films cannot be made by a committee and cannot be made if one is constantly thinking about target audience. The distinctions in the thought processes of the filmmaker and studio executive will not wane, but continue to play in everyone’s mind.

Slump Time For Hype

The past few years have seen a dam burst as far as hype and aggressive marketing of films go, with every producer allocating a substantial part of his film’s budget for the purpose of promotions. The trend will slide downward in 2015.

Almost every production, particularly the big-budget ones, is these days creating a situation where the star cast literally exhausts itself promoting a film, at times spending more effort on such activity than actually shooting the film! Stars are all over, on practically every reality show, in the social networking sphere and also doing the old-fashioned live publicity gigs.

The fad of excessive marketing is reaching its saturation point now. Ultimately, the audience cannot be fooled if the content is weak.

Looking Beyond Superstars

The notion that superstars are all that matters for Bollywood has been proved wrong consistently over the past few years. The industry is now very well aware that a superstar cannot carry a film on his shoulders no matter how average or bad it is.

In 2015, this notion will be reiterated. Films such as PK prove that mixing a superstar’s popularity and entertainment value with solid content helps garner greater box-office returns than mindless fare.

Content Will Be King

The shift in audience taste over the past few years has clearly indicated that new-age viewers crave for compelling ideas. Films have to be made on novel storylines and, most importantly, narrated in an engaging manner.

Most box-office hits, big and small, in recent times have shown that the popular desire for novelty is here to stay. This aspect will become more apparent in 2015. In the future, studios and production houses will prioritise content over everything else more actively than ever.

Unusual Genres To Soar

Lately, the audience has grown receptive to genres that did not find wide acceptance even a few years ago. The past few years have shown an increasing demand for women-oriented subjects, biopics and films without songs among other genres so far considered unconventional in Hindi films. As 2015 approaches, most filmmakers are keeping in mind the fact that the audience continues to be more experimental in their cinematic choices. So productions launched are looking at fresh themes and pushing the limits on what has traditionally been considered to be entertainment.

New Talent Beyond Actors

The fact is established that show business has always been talent-driven. The definition of talent will broaden beyond actors and stars, to include directors, creative producers, writers, musicians and new faces in every department of a film’s crew. This will happen because films driven by direction and writing will gradually find more acceptance.

The pace at which young talent is launched in Bollywood will only continue to increase in 2015. Filmmakers will continue to have a wider choice in terms of selecting new actors for their films, too.

Online Biz Boom Ahead

It is a known fact that the home video business is slowly dying out. With an increasing demand for an alternative source of entertainment for the home audience, filmmakers will look at Digital EST (electronic sellthrough) and online VOD (video on demand) transactions to garner revenue. These different ways of taking cinema to the audience beyond the big screen will increasingly generate more money and start making up for the DVD business, which is dying worldwide.

No Stopping Piracy

The sad thing is piracy will continue to plague the film business. There seems to be no solution to the malady, and there is no reason to expect any serious lawful intervention to bust the problem any time soon. Even as the industry grows, the menace will continue bleeding business as ever.

Drop in Remake Fad

The fetish for the larger-than-life hero is losing its lustre among the audience, and the trend will only grow in 2015. The trend now is to create believable characters and situations. This in turn means Bollywood will learn to go slow on remaking south Indian blockbusters that have traditionally ridden over-the-top heroism.

Enter the Megaplex

The single screen made way for the multiplex. Now is the time for Indians to greet the megaplex — gigantic cineplexes with 10 to 15 screen. The trend has been popular in the West for long. Back home, while south India has already had its brush with the megaplex, the idea is now catching on with exhibitors all over. Megaplexes are an outcome of Bollywood’s growing business patterns.