A good year in the movies can mean multiple things. Studios sufficiently bankrolling films, independent projects finding their way to the mainstream, underdogs triumphing over tentpole projects, new faces coming up and old faces rediscovering their voice. In that sense, 2024 fulfilled most of these possibilities. Filmmaker Sriram Raghavan, known for curating gore in his films, conjured a heartbreaking romance in Merry Christmas. Three female actors fronted the commercially viable Crew, a modest-budgeted Munjya won big, Payal Kapadia’s independently-funded All We Imagine As Light got a theatrical release and ensembles like Madgaon Express, Stree 2, and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 were triumphs. On paper, we are steadying ahead. But a little probing dismantles this neat narrative.

There can, and should, be different ways of looking at something. But no matter how one sees it, 2024 reveals to be uninspiring for Hindi films. Quantity is no longer the problem. Admittedly, there was a lull during the Covid-19 crisis, but some time has passed and as of now, a steady roster of theatrical and streaming releases is in place. Theatre owners and exhibitors also came up with a ploy to combat infrequent releases: re-releasing old Hindi films. Yet, the quality has been on a steady decline.

The Era Of ‘Genericness’

As of now, the landscape of Hindi films resembles a linear line drawn by a vanishing ink. The multi-crore industry has come to be imbued by such genericness in plot and aesthetics that is hard to locate its identity. In other words, no matter how long the line is—and how expansive the industry is becoming—the growth feels incidental, for the ambition is stunted.

It could have been the post-pandemic uncertainty, the easy availability of other Indian language films through streaming sites during that period, or the gigantic successes of those ventures. In 2022, S.S. Rajamouli’s RRR registered the highest opening by an Indian film; this year, another Telugu language film, Sukumar’s Pushpa 2, became the highest-grossing Indian film in the first week. But evidently, the monopoly of Hindi films and its false equivalence with Indian cinema have considerably weakened. The diversity of the industry has been steamrolled into a prickly homogeneity where any two films look the same, the scale feels identical, the action looks uniformly designed and the style is fashioned in self-reflexive humour.

As is often the case, Shah Rukh Khan paved the way. His 2023 film Pathaan not just marked his return to the screen after a four-year hiatus but was one of the few outings that earned money at a time many others struggled to do so. Its success did three things: it reiterated the supremacy of Khan, legitimised action as a thriving genre, and recognised star cameos in films as the onset of multiverses. 

Spectacle Over Everything Else

This year, most Hindi films can be slotted in these distinct categories. Rohit Shetty’s Singham Again was his version of a (cop) multiverse, and the production house Maddock Films furthered its horror-comedy universe with Stree 2 and Munjya. Sagar Ambre and Pushkar Ojha helmed the action-thriller Yodha, Siddharth Anand directed the aviation (action) thriller Fighter and Ali Abbas Zafar made the abysmal Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (BMCM). There are more examples: Nikkhil Advani leaned on action with Vedaa, Ravi Udyawar did the same with Yudhra and so did Aditya Datt in Crakk. Clubbing them together could be reductive, but it is difficult not to identify the sweeping attempt by the makers to treat plot as an accessory to action.

In the midst, meta references clog the screenplay. Khan’s famous “Bete ko hath lagane se pehle, baap se baat kar” (“Before touching the son, deal with the father”), rooted to the personal turmoil of his son’s arrest in 2021, spawned similar iterations post Jawan (2023). Tiger Shroff repeated his meme-famous “choti bachi ho kya?” (“are you a little girl”) a decade later in BMCM after mouthing them for the first time in Heropanti (2014); Chitrangada Singh briefly appeared in Akshay Kumar’s Khel Khel Mein (2024) and their scenes were scored to the music of Desi Boyz (2011), the last film they did together. The subtext here is actors winking directly at the audience and establishing a connection despite the fourth wall. But Hindi films have never seemed more distant.

Stuck On Repeat

If 2024 proved anything, it is that what works really does, and when it does, it is repeated. The success of Stree 2 and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 furthered the accomplishment of sequels, and now, there are multiple in the works. The Ranbir Kapoor-starrer Animal (2023) ended with the announcement of Animal Park, which is supposed to go on floors in 2027. Varun Dhawan is part of No Entry 2, Border 2 and reportedly a sequel to Jugjugg Jeeyo too. Vikas Bahl’s Shaitaan, which minted money this year, has a sequel in the making, and in October, actor Salman Khan and producer Sajid Nadiadwala confirmed working on Kick 2 with a cheeky Instagram post. Meanwhile, Shah Rukh Khan is rumoured to be featuring in Pathaan 2.

Every actor, it appears, is either working in a sequel or wants to be in one. It is a jarring trend that spells a creative crisis in Hindi cinema with a damning pronouncement. As of this moment, filmmakers are more involved in catering to the audience than creating for them. Budgets are being amped up, more investment is tailored for VFX and Hindi films are getting bigger. Yet, one would be hard-pressed to distinguish between the trailers of, say, Baby John and Animal. It is the same story everywhere: overgrown men fighting with an obscure vengeance to prove their manhood rather than seek justice.

Bankruptcy Of Imagination

Perhaps this crystallises the most terrifying symptom of Hindi cinema today where the bankruptcy of imagination has manifested in accentuating machismo. More and more films centre around men who need an excuse to draw out blood from the next person. The face does not matter, nor does the cause. While they thumped about the screens, smaller and more inventive projects, such as Sanjay Tripaathy’s warm Binny And Family, Karan Gour’s whimsical Fairy Folk, Shoojit Sircar’s affecting I Want to Talk battled for more screens and our attention. Even Kiran Rao’s wonderful Laapataa Ladies and Varun Grover’s perceptive All India Rank garnered appreciation once they landed on digital platforms. Once upon a time, they would have been referred to as multiplex films. Today, they are too ambitious for streaming and too atypical for theatres. They reside in a no man’s land, and in their dislocation, they mirror the gradual distortion of Hindi cinema.

(Ishita Sengupta is an independent film critic and culture writer from India. Her writing is informed by gender and pop culture and has appeared in The Indian Express, Hyperallergic, New Lines Magazine, etc.)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

The recent face-off between Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and actor Allu Arjun over the stampede at Sandhya Theatre on December 5 has begun to show signs of de-escalation, with conciliatory statements and compensation for the victim’s family.

The outpour of sympathy and support for the family of the 39-year-old mother who tragically died, and her nine-year-old son who survived life-threatening injuries, is heartening. One can only hope that as a society, we take collective responsibility to prevent such stampedes—particularly those caused by the frenzy surrounding film stars and movie releases.

That said, the Arjun vs. Reddy battle mirrors a familiar narrative in southern Indian politics: the clash between a star and a powerful politician. This story has played out numerous times, both in the political arena and in film scripts. In real-world politics, history shows that it is generally unwise for politicians to antagonise stars, especially those at the peak of their popularity.  

MGR vs Karunanidhi

The first notable example from Tamil Nadu where a politician who took on a star lost the battle is the defining story of Dravidian politics. The late Chief Minister and DMK patriarch, M. Karunanidhi, antagonised the enormously popular M.G. Ramachandran (MGR), an actor who had a massive following.

MGR worked closely with Karunanidhi in films and was part of the DMK, which was founded by former Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai, or ‘Anna’. When Anna passed away while in office in 1969, Karunanidhi took over as Chief Minister and president of the DMK. A rift with MGR followed, leading to a split in the party. MGR went on to form his own party, the All India Anna DMK (AIADMK), and not only defeated Karunanidhi’s DMK but also kept him out of power until his death in 1987.

While there were many other factors at play, including the declaration of emergency, it was fundamentally the narrative of MGR’s persecution that fuelled the rise of the AIADMK. This emotional connection helped keep Karunanidhi and his DMK out of power in successive elections, till MGR was alive. 

Rajnikanth vs. Jayalalithaa, 1996

In 1996, the late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa—MGR’s successor and a popular actor who took over the AIADMK—had a face-off with superstar Rajnikanth. The friction between the two leaders, who were neighbours in Chennai’s posh Poes Garden area, escalated when Rajnikanth publicly declared that “even God could not save the state if Jayalalithaa came back to power”.

In the 1996 elections, the AIADMK was decisively routed, with even Jayalalithaa losing her seat. There were multiple reasons for this defeat and Rajnikanth’s statement contributed to the atmosphere, but the episode serves as a reminder that a public confrontation with a powerful star is rarely advantageous for a politician in Dravidian politics.

Although Rajnikanth never formally entered politics, he made a film in 1998, Padayappa, where the antagonist was a woman—interpreted by many as a veiled reference to the ousted Jayalalithaa. In the years that followed, there was a reconciliation between the two, with Rajnikanth remaining officially apolitical, though he sporadically made statements in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) until Jayalalithaa’s death.

NTR In Telugu politics, Rajkumar In Karnataka

In the world of Telugu politics, it was the most popular star of the time, NT Rama Rao (NTR), who toppled the Congress in 1983. While there was no narrative of the “persecution of the star” in the assembly battle back then, NTR capitalised on a narrative of the Congress hurting Telugu pride. This political victory still contributes to the stereotype of star power in Southern politics.

Generally, political leaders in Telugu, Tamil and even Kannada politics have treaded carefully when dealing with stars. For example, in Karnataka, Kannada superstar Rajkumar, who stayed away from politics throughout his life, played a significant role in the Gokak agitation for the Kannada language in the early 1980s. This movement contributed to the defeat of the then Congress Chief Minister R. Gundu Rao and the Janata Party’s victory in the 1983 state elections.

While not all stars have been successful in politics, there are enough historical lessons for southern politicians to avoid friction with a star—especially one at the height of his popularity.

What Reddy Can Learn From Stalin

Currently, Tamil Nadu is witnessing the rise of actor Vijay with his political party. Although Vijay has been critical of the ruling DMK, Chief Minister Stalin has refrained from engaging in a war of words. Stalin has even instructed his party, including his son and Deputy Chief Minister Udayanidhi, to avoid getting involved in a public dispute.

Having been a witness to the history of Dravidian politics as the late Karunanidhi’s aide, Stalin understands that politically attacking a star only boosts his or her mass appeal and influence.  

While the Arjun Vs Reddy controversy isn’t electoral in nature—at least not yet—it remains unclear how such a public confrontation erupted in Hyderabad, given the deeply intertwined world of politics and cinema. With close connections, including family linkages, it’s hard to believe this was purely about the stampede. Whatever the reasons, history is a reminder for Revanth Reddy to avoid star-studded confrontations in the future. 

(TM Veeraraghav is Executive Editor, NDTV)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author