WAS 2015 A GREAT YEAR FOR BOLLYWOOD?
As the year comes to a close, it’s time to look back and ask – has 2015 been a great year for the industry? Sadly, the answer is no. With each passing year, the business should increase but that hasn’t happened in 2015 unfortunately. Only 6 films managed to cross the 100 crore mark – Tanu Weds Manu Returns, ABCD 2, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, Dilwale and Bajirao Mastani. Not to forget, the collections of Dilwale have been below expectations thanks to a mixed response and suffering a clash with Bajirao Mastani. Baby and Gabbar Is Back were decent successes but surely deserved to do more. A lot was expected from films like Tevar, Shamitabh, Roy, Dil Dhadakne Do, Guddu Rangeela, Brothers, All Is Well, Phantom, Hero, Katti Batti, Singh Is Bliing, Jazbaa and Tamasha but these films failed to make a mark at the box office. 2015 also saw one of the biggest disasters ever in the form of Bombay Velvet. Shaandaar too bombed badly, sending shockwaves, more so for its poor content.
However, there were quite a few surprises that spread cheer. Dum Laga Ke Haisha came out of nowhere but succeeded big time. Tanu Weds Manu Returns was the best surprise of the year – it collected close to 150 crore net – something that the biggest of films starring the biggest of names failed to do. Piku started slow but picked up significantly. South Indian dubbed films have rarely done good business but Baahubali – The Beginning outperformed everywhere. Drishyam was an average grosser but trended very well. Welcome Back fell from second week but managed to rise above the negativity that was floating around during its release. 2 films – Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon and Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2– once again proved that low-budget-high-concept films can work wonders. Talvar became the first arthouse film to cross 30 crore mark.
From the business point of view, however, the film industry is in dire need of more hits and more blockbusters. And that can only happen when better films are made in a way that it can appeal to a wide range of audiences. Look at Bajirao Mastani. It’s a historical drama (perceived to be not a massy genre) and it clashed with the very massy Dilwale. Yet, it worked as it’s a nicely made product. Sadly, our industry doesn’t give too many nice films. Most of the times, the budget of the film is so skyhigh that recovery becomes a problem. A film like Drishyam for instance should have been made in 30 or max 40 crore instead of 60 crore. Spending 120 crore on Bombay Velvet was foolhardy especially when a similar period film – Detective Byomkesh Bakshy– with similar kind of sets – was made in less than 40 crore. Yes, there are other reasons too why the industry is suffering, like lack of theatres, piracy etc But sadly, that’s not in the hands of the industry. What they can do from their side is make good films in reasonable budgets and surely, it’s a move that will not go wrong for sure.
Here’s hoping better sense and films prevail in 2016!