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What has happened to Bollywood?

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gkb101277867

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Was watching kuch kuch hota hai after so many years again and it just got me thinking how amazing bollywood used to be even 10 years ago. Amazing storylines and songs.

Seems like after 2005/2006 everything went pear shaped. I would love to go to the cinema and watch something amazing like a kuch kuch hota hai/ kabhi kushie kabhie gham/kal ho na ho type film again.

Even the comedies were amazing and just so fresh and creative. Munna bhai and mujhse shadi karogi to name a few off the top of my head.

Nowadays they are just full of vulgarity and terrible songs and just feel bland. Even the comedies I don't find funny anymore.

Only maybe 4 or 5 films in the last 10 years I can say were amazing.
 
gkb101277867 said:
Was watching kuch kuch hota hai after so many years again and it just got me thinking how amazing bollywood used to be even 10 years ago. Amazing storylines and songs.

Seems like after 2005/2006 everything went pear shaped. I would love to go to the cinema and watch something amazing like a kuch kuch hota hai/ kabhi kushie kabhie gham/kal ho na ho type film again.

Even the comedies were amazing and just so fresh and creative. Munna bhai and mujhse shadi karogi to name a few off the top of my head.

Nowadays they are just full of vulgarity and terrible songs and just feel bland. Even the comedies I don't find funny anymore.

Only maybe 4 or 5 films in the last 10 years I can say were amazing.
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Ok. I think it's your personal preference to watch such flicks or you must have felt nostalgic seeing childhood super hits after a long time. Bollywood and current generation has moved ahead so even though there are few crap films like in every generation, variety of genres touched now a days are more.

Personally I feel odd watching those melodramatic / over the top romantic films of 90's now.
 
It matured thank God,90s was a terrible time good songs with much more drama.

Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Ghum seriously? Srk proposes Kajol at her Dad's funeral.

We have much better scripts now ,saw the trailer of new Pakistani movie Punjab nahi jaana or something and it seems similar to bollywood which Pakistanis loved so its ok u have a replacement already.
 
JaDed said:
It matured thank God,90s was a terrible time good songs with much more drama.

Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Ghum seriously? Srk proposes Kajol at her Dad's funeral.

We have much better scripts now ,saw the trailer of new Pakistani movie Punjab nahi jaana or something and it seems similar to bollywood which Pakistanis loved so its ok u have a replacement already.
Click to expand...

Name me 5 bollywood movies from last year with "much better scripts"
 
CricketCartoons said:
Name me 5 bollywood movies from last year with "much better scripts"
Click to expand...

Dangal,Raman Raghav 2.0,Kapoor and Sons,Udta Punjab,Neerja there are others too btw Rustom,Airlift,Dear zindagi with better scripts but not great direction.

See the issue is ur bias and I can easily predict how u ll react here.
 
What's with Pakistanis and their love for kuch kuch hota hai? How can anyone stand that awful movie?
 
You have to be selective with the movies you watch.

Same applies to Lollywood and Hollywood.

And I feel nostalgia might be clouding your judgment on those movies! Quality scripts and the 90s don't go hand-in-hand. :yk
 
90"s Had the most memorable songs to be fair. Most bollywood music these days is just catchy or hummable at their best. You hum them for about a year, maybe 2 years for dance numbers, then all is forgotten. !

But the movies of the 90's were far too silly, misogynistic and many were shameless ripoffs of foreign/regional movie plots .

Bollywood these days is in trouble because a section of bollywood has moved towards better quality cinema, with realistic plots,acting and socially relevant/progressive content.

The 'potboiler' or "masala" filmamkers can no longer rip-off anything without being called out and embarrassed for it. SO they have started giving credit to the sources they are copied from (like the numerous Bollywood studios purchasing remake rights of South Films and Hollywood films) . They have to pander exclusively to the heroe's fan base and thus alienate reasonable viewers.

So suddenly people who used to watch those One-size-fits-all "family entertainer" films have nothing else to watch.Bollywood Movies these days are in the extremes - Really smart or really dumb..
 
JaDed said:
Dangal,Raman Raghav 2.0,Kapoor and Sons,Udta Punjab,Neerja there are others too btw Rustom,Airlift,Dear zindagi with better scripts but not great direction.

See the issue is ur bias and I can easily predict how u ll react here.
Click to expand...

Out of the ones I have watched only kapoor and sons was decent. Raghav 2.0? Seriously? That movie was straight garbage. None of them were anything special tbh.

Bollywood films used to completely take me in. Almost like you forget about the outside world for a few hours. Just dont get that anymore. Quite a few times I'm constantly checking my watch to see the time.
 
SandyB said:
90"s Had the most memorable songs to be fair. Most bollywood music these days is just catchy or hummable at their best. You hum them for about a year, maybe 2 years for dance numbers, then all is forgotten. !

But the movies of the 90's were far too silly, misogynistic and many were shameless ripoffs of foreign/regional movie plots .

Bollywood these days is in trouble because a section of bollywood has moved towards better quality cinema, with realistic plots,acting and socially relevant/progressive content.

The 'potboiler' or "masala" filmamkers can no longer rip-off anything without being called out and embarrassed for it. SO they have started giving credit to the sources they are copied from (like the numerous Bollywood studios purchasing remake rights of South Films and Hollywood films) . They have to pander exclusively to the heroe's fan base and thus alienate reasonable viewers.

So suddenly people who used to watch those One-size-fits-all "family entertainer" films have nothing else to watch.Bollywood Movies these days are in the extremes - Really smart or really dumb..
Click to expand...

Being 'socially relevant/progressive' doesnt mean it cant be an amazing film. I mentioned Ive only seen 4 or 5 films after 2006 which I can call special or amazing and one of them is 3 idiots. An incredible movie which completely took me in.

Its not even about being a masala film. If a film is bad then its bad. Dilwale was a masala film and it was DREADFUL. Most of the masala films have been dreadful after 2006
 
SandyB said:
90"s Had the most memorable songs to be fair. Most bollywood music these days is just catchy or hummable at their best. You hum them for about a year, maybe 2 years for dance numbers, then all is forgotten. !

But the movies of the 90's were far too silly, misogynistic and many were shameless ripoffs of foreign/regional movie plots .

Bollywood these days is in trouble because a section of bollywood has moved towards better quality cinema, with realistic plots,acting and socially relevant/progressive content.

The 'potboiler' or "masala" filmamkers can no longer rip-off anything without being called out and embarrassed for it. SO they have started giving credit to the sources they are copied from (like the numerous Bollywood studios purchasing remake rights of South Films and Hollywood films) . They have to pander exclusively to the heroe's fan base and thus alienate reasonable viewers.

So suddenly people who used to watch those One-size-fits-all "family entertainer" films have nothing else to watch.Bollywood Movies these days are in the extremes - Really smart or really dumb..
Click to expand...

Its not even about masala films. If a movie is bad it is bad. A recent example is Dilwale and a lot of srk's films in the last 5 years. Just dreadful

How are films like kal ho na ho etc silly or misogynistic?
 
gkb101277867 said:
Out of the ones I have watched only kapoor and sons was decent. Raghav 2.0? Seriously? That movie was straight garbage. None of them were anything special tbh.

Bollywood films used to completely take me in. Almost like you forget about the outside world for a few hours. Just dont get that anymore. Quite a few times I'm constantly checking my watch to see the time.
Click to expand...

If thats the criteria try sanam re,prem ratan dhan payo,sultan,ae dil hai mushkil surely the 90s bollywood is alive there.
 
I lived though the 90s era and not much has changed - Bollywood was overall crap as it Is now. A few very good quality films were released every year then like they are now.

I will agree though the songs were much much better and memorable in the 90s.
 
JaDed said:
If thats the criteria try sanam re,prem ratan dhan payo,sultan,ae dil hai mushkil surely the 90s bollywood is alive there.
Click to expand...

Prem ratan dhan payo is one of the worst films ive watched. Ae dil hai mushkil was average. Nothing compared to the films back in the day
 
gkb101277867 said:
Prem ratan dhan payo is one of the worst films ive watched. Ae dil hai mushkil was average. Nothing compared to the films back in the day
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Was meant to be sarcastic bro you have watched Prem Ratan Dhan Payo that's an achievement in itself.
 
JaDed said:
Was meant to be sarcastic bro you have watched Prem Ratan Dhan Payo that's an achievement in itself.
Click to expand...

Actually bro i seen that it was on netflix so started watching it. Turned it off within an hour because it was dreadful lol. Watched airlift instead which was decent.
 
Anybody who says 90's Bollywood was even comparable is not watching movies now in Bollywood or just filled with nostalgia..

Every year bollywood makes mamy great movies than bollywood did in the entire decade...Only shining point in the 90s was Emergence of A R Rahman and Ram Gopal Varma .

Today I believe We stand with Hollywood in Terms of Quality Movies...I mean if Margharita with a straw or Parched were Hollywood movies...they would be getting ridiculous praise from some people Here. Just people go out of their way of mainstream CGI filled hollywood to find the truely soulful Hollywood movies....they should do that same with Bollywood as well. No disrepect to the Mainstream movies...They provide entertainment to so many people in their lives...a few pretentious people dont matter
 
^^^ Bhai..

Aligarh -- On a Gay Lonely Homosexual Professor

Margharita with a Straw--- Movie Dealing a girl suffering from Cerebral Palsy and dealing with her indendent life and sexuality being a lesbian

Piku -- An independent girl dealing with a hypochondriac Father

Udan -- A teenager dealing with a Abusive father and Hope in Life

Badlapur -- On how revenge consumes life of an innocent person

Parched -- on life of bunch of girls living in regressive Patriarchial Rajasthan

Dangal -- A Mega star starrer about Women wrestlers from a patriarchal society where women dont go out..let alone wrestle

Pink -- A court drama on women who were charged when it was them who suffered from a traumatic rape attempt

Highway -- Girl who goes through stockholm syndrome after a kidnap..coming from an rich but a abusive childhood



And Then There is 3 Idiots, Taare Zameen Par,Titli, Peepli Live, Gangs of Wasseypur, Shaithan, English Vinglish, Queen, Kahaani, Paan Singh Tomar, Barfi, Wake up sid, Rajneeti, Oh My god, PK, Kai po Che, Lunchbox, Ishqiya, Haider, NH10, Dum Laagake Haisha, Talvar, Dhrishyam , Special 26, Airlift, Neerja


Btw...All these movie are from after 2011 ...and they stand toe to toe many hollywood movies of the genre they belong too...and these movies are only from Top of my head. Be a bit open minded....and watch like you do while watching super boring oscar winners...and go gaga over
 
How can you like Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham type of movies? My only complaint against Bollywood is the kind of music they are making these days. There is rap in every other song whereas before songs used to be melodious and meaningful. Singers like Kumar Sanu, Sonu, Udit, Kishore, Rafi, Mukesh, Suresh Wadekar, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha were true gems.
 
Basically when SRK is not doing masala movies the industry thrives, other then that it's a load of garbage. Bollywoods ends and begins with SRK the Lord of Bollywood.

giphy.gif
 
Bhaag Viru Bhaag said:
How can you like Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham type of movies? My only complaint against Bollywood is the kind of music they are making these days. There is rap in every other song whereas before songs used to be melodious and meaningful. Singers like Kumar Sanu, Sonu, Udit, Kishore, Rafi, Mukesh, Suresh Wadekar, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha were true gems.
Click to expand...

Kumar Sanu (he he ho ho, la la la la) was a true gem? :))
 
i am not really a film-buff.but believe bollywood has made some brilliant movies in the last 10 years.
1.gangs 1 &2.
2.taare zamin par(the 1st half).
3. no smoking
4.wake up sid.
5.rocket singh
6,ishqiya
7.kahaani
i don't think apart from black friday any movie from 90's is comparable to any of these. no smoking is my personal favourite.a true gem from mr. anurag kashyap
 
anikrc1 said:
i am not really a film-buff.but believe bollywood has made some brilliant movies in the last 10 years.
1.gangs 1 &2.
2.taare zamin par(the 1st half).
3. no smoking
4.wake up sid.
5.rocket singh
6,ishqiya
7.kahaani
i don't think apart from black friday any movie from 90's is comparable to any of these. no smoking is my personal favourite.a true gem from mr. anurag kashyap
Click to expand...

Actually very few movies after compare to Ram Gopal Varma's Satya (1998)
 
Bollywood has always been mostly trash. They produce movies which audience want to see.

People want to see hot women dancing (Item songs) and a few mindless fights and some rotten comedy. That is what they produce mostly. Even then, most of them bomb at the Box Office.
 
Bhaag Viru Bhaag said:
How can you like Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham type of movies? My only complaint against Bollywood is the kind of music they are making these days. There is rap in every other song whereas before songs used to be melodious and meaningful. Singers like Kumar Sanu, Sonu, Udit, Kishore, Rafi, Mukesh, Suresh Wadekar, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha were true gems.
Click to expand...

The influx of Punjabi Rappers like Yo Yo Honey Singh, Badshah meant that Rap is not part of Bollywood.

Rap in Hindi movies looks totally out of place. Indian people and rapping does not go well. Its not our culture. Nothing wrong in rapping. But it looks out of place in Bollywood movies.
 
troodon said:
Bollywood has always been mostly trash. They produce movies which audience want to see.

People want to see hot women dancing (Item songs) and a few mindless fights and some rotten comedy. That is what they produce mostly. Even then, most of them bomb at the Box Office.
Click to expand...

Below are the movies with Box office Status Hit or Above in 2016....

Wazir -- No Items songs...Thriller starring Farhan and Amithabh playing a Disabled

Airlift -- Has a Song in the beginning of the movie...but is a War Drama with no other songs or mindless fights.....

***** Khadoos -- A Sports Drama -- No mindless actions -- No mindless Fights

Neerja -- No mindless actions -- No mindless Fights -- A Thriller completely in a Airplane

Aligarh -- A critical hit about a Gay lonely proffessor in a Muslim College -- No mindless actions -- No mindless Fights

Kapoor and Sons-- One of the greaest Family Dramas Bollywood every made...Real and subtle...way it dealt with Homosexuality with such finasse -- My opinion best movie of 2016 -- No mindless actions -- No mindless Fights

Ki /Ka and Fan -- Average movies...but again dealt with obsessive fan and Gender roles -- No mindless actions -- No mindless Fights

Phobia -- A Superb Thriller that dealt with a person dealing with a fear of going outside her house -- No mindless actions -- No mindless Fights

Waiting --- A Critical hit ... starring Naseer and Kalki...whole movie conversation between people in waiting room while their loved ones are recovering from a health threat in the hospital -- No mindless actions -- No mindless Fights

Udta Punjab --- Drug addiction in punjab and how lives of four people have changed by it from different strata of the society -- No mindless actions -- No mindless Fights

Raman Raghav 2.0 -- Anurag Kashyap Serial killer drama -- No mindless actions -- No mindless Fights

Sultan -- A story of a Wrestler and his Wife ...his mistakes and his redumptions -- No mindless actions -- No mindless Fights

Pink -- A court Drama -- an women empowerment film

PArched -- one of the best female driven movies ever made in india

MS Dhoni -- Sports Biopic -- No mindless actions -- No mindless Fights

Shivaay -- A Kidnap Drama -- No mindless actions -- No mindless Fight

Ae Dil hai mushkil -- A Musical love story..more like one sided love -- No mindless actions -- No mindless Fights

Dangal -- A True story about two Female wrestler from Haryana -- No mindless actions -- No mindless Fights


So !!!
 
I stopped watching this rubbish such a long time back. Last one I watched was "Raaz" when it was released, how long was was that? They can do whatever they want, be coconuts and white wannabee's all they want. My concern is that we should never imitate them at all, Pakistan must retain it's culture and heritage that I love to bits. I do not want for Pak to lose it's conservative soul like they have done. Our supposed new age cinema must always show Pakistaniat. What I am seeing is many of our movies have also caught on the silly "item number" bug and so forth.
 
No surprise that it is mostly the indians living in america who prop up bollywood. Because when their american colleagues ask them about india, they can point to some bollywood movies and tell them hey, this is how india is, and this is how indians back home look like. They want to be able to flaunt some cultural exhibit they can identify with.
 
Bollywood's true golden age was the 80's with Amitabh Bachan being its most prominent and magnificent example. No other actor has come even close to what he did back then and managed to single handedly lifted the whole Indian movie industry to another level (his recent stuff is rubbish). Anything after that is just either copying the past, copying Hollywood or copying itself.
 
gkb101277867 said:
Was watching kuch kuch hota hai after so many years again and it just got me thinking how amazing bollywood used to be even 10 years ago. Amazing storylines and songs.

Seems like after 2005/2006 everything went pear shaped. I would love to go to the cinema and watch something amazing like a kuch kuch hota hai/ kabhi kushie kabhie gham/kal ho na ho type film again.

Even the comedies were amazing and just so fresh and creative. Munna bhai and mujhse shadi karogi to name a few off the top of my head.

Nowadays they are just full of vulgarity and terrible songs and just feel bland. Even the comedies I don't find funny anymore.

Only maybe 4 or 5 films in the last 10 years I can say were amazing.
Click to expand...

SRK is so overrated. He is so over the top in his emotional scenes most of the times that its almost funny. Amir is probably the only GREAT actor left and has managed to pick the right roles and be involved in the right projects which is highly commendable.
 
A big part of bollywood's popularity was down to the music, composers like RD Burman and singers like Kishore Kumar, Rafi and Lata were in a different league to today's digitized drivel.
 
IgnitedMind said:
Anybody who says 90's Bollywood was even comparable is not watching movies now in Bollywood or just filled with nostalgia..

Every year bollywood makes mamy great movies than bollywood did in the entire decade...Only shining point in the 90s was Emergence of A R Rahman and Ram Gopal Varma .

Today I believe We stand with Hollywood in Terms of Quality Movies...I mean if Margharita with a straw or Parched were Hollywood movies...they would be getting ridiculous praise from some people Here. Just people go out of their way of mainstream CGI filled hollywood to find the truely soulful Hollywood movies....they should do that same with Bollywood as well. No disrepect to the Mainstream movies...They provide entertainment to so many people in their lives...a few pretentious people dont matter
Click to expand...
:facepalm: What is wrong with some of you people? And to think that you are educated adults and not some teenage Salman fangirls from a small town in India.
 
TM Riddle said:
:facepalm: What is wrong with some of you people? And to think that you are educated adults and not some teenage Salman fangirls from a small town in India.
Click to expand...

Buddy, I Know for a fact that 80 percent of the movies I mentioned will stand toe to toe with those genre films in Hollywood. If Phobia was really made in Hollywood..it would be a thriller everybody and their grandma's would be recommending to everyone they see ...atleast to show off they appreciate hollywood movies and they have a taste for it
 
IgnitedMind said:
Buddy, I Know for a fact that 80 percent of the movies I mentioned will stand toe to toe with those genre films in Hollywood. If Phobia was really made in Hollywood..it would be a thriller everybody and their grandma's would be recommending to everyone they see ...atleast to show off they appreciate hollywood movies and they have a taste for it
Click to expand...

It is not the movies which can stand toe to toe with their Hollywood counterparts. It is some indians in america who want to stand toe to toe with americans by bigging up their copywood movies. it stems from their inferiority complex and want to get recognized by the west, but instead of really working hard to improve their quality, they take the easier route of hyping their substandard fare in an attempt to be seen as worthy by the west.
 
CricketCartoons said:
It is not the movies which can stand toe to toe with their Hollywood counterparts. It is some indians in america who want to stand toe to toe with americans by bigging up their copywood movies. it stems from their inferiority complex and want to get recognized by the west, but instead of really working hard to improve their quality, they take the easier route of hyping their substandard fare in an attempt to be seen as worthy by the west.
Click to expand...

Not going there Buddy...we did this 2012. been 5 years now :D
 
I feel the Bollywood has been doing much much better now. 90s and 2000s with Govinda were horrible times.

Couple on top of my mind

Barfi
Gangs of Wasseypur
Talash
Byomkesh Bakshi
Airlift
Neerja
Pink
Dangal

Much better variety now and people aren't afraid to experiment
 
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