South Industry से पीछे क्यों हुई Bollywood Industry ? | Shubhankar Mishra | Amit Sial

Unplugged Shubhankar

18 Sept 202405:15

Summary

TLDRThe speaker discusses the rise of the South Indian film industry and the decline of Bollywood, touching on how South films maintain a strong cultural connection and have a religious fan following. Bollywood, on the other hand, has struggled with relatability, pricing issues, and the loss of family-friendly experiences at the cinema. The speaker recalls how, in the past, cinema outings were affordable, communal events, and suggests that Bollywood could regain its appeal by addressing these factors. Nostalgic references to past Bollywood stars like Amitabh Bachchan and Govinda highlight the industry's former glory.

Takeaways

🎥 The South Indian film industry has risen significantly while Bollywood experienced a decline, though Bollywood is making a comeback.
🙏 The South Indian industry enjoys a religious fan following, with audiences deeply connected to their films.
🎬 Bollywood and South Indian film industries are now collaborating more, with Bollywood actors working in South films and vice versa.
💡 There is a need to study why South Indian cinema is on the rise while Bollywood has faced challenges.
🎟️ Cinema outings have become expensive in Bollywood, making it less accessible to families compared to the past.
🍿 Earlier, cinema was a family outing with affordable tickets and snacks, but now it's seen as a privilege due to high costs.
💬 South Indian films still connect with ground-level realities, depicting relatable culture and daily life, which resonates with broader audiences.
🌍 Bollywood has lost some relatability with its urban-centric storytelling, disconnecting from its traditional audience.
🕴️ In the past, Bollywood stars like Amitabh Bachchan and Govinda created a frenzy among fans, but the current Bollywood lacks that level of mass appeal.
📽️ The audience craves the excitement and enjoyment that classic Bollywood films used to provide, with memorable moments like dancing and whistling in theaters.

Q & A

Why is the South Indian film industry rising while Bollywood has seen a decline?
-The South Indian film industry has built a religious-like fan following with strong audience engagement, while Bollywood has struggled to maintain relatability with the audience. South films often stay grounded in cultural roots, which helps them resonate better with a wider range of viewers.
What challenges is Bollywood facing according to the speaker?
-Bollywood faces issues like high costs for families to go to the cinema, losing connection with the audience's daily lives, and creating films that don't offer the same level of relatability or cultural grounding as they used to.
How has the cost of cinema outings impacted the film industry?
-High costs for tickets and concessions make cinema outings a financial burden for many families, leading to a decline in regular theater attendance. The speaker reminisces about how, in the past, cinema was an affordable family outing, which is no longer the case.
What does the speaker mention about the culture in South Indian films?
-South Indian films still display cultural values and ground-level realities that appeal to a broader audience. This includes showcasing local traditions and stories that resonate with everyday people like bus drivers and working-class individuals.
What example does the speaker give to illustrate Bollywood's past popularity?
-The speaker refers to the Amitabh Bachchan film festival during his birthday, where all the shows were sold out. He compares this to the immense popularity Bachchan had in the past, with audiences cheering, whistling, and dancing in theaters.
What role does nostalgia play in Bollywood's current situation according to the speaker?
-Nostalgia for actors like Amitabh Bachchan, Govinda, Mithun Chakraborty, and Ajay Devgn is strong. The speaker believes that if older movies or festivals of these stars were organized, they would still attract full theaters, as audiences miss the joy and entertainment those films offered.
How has Bollywood lost its connection with the audience?
-Bollywood has lost the sense of relatability and entertainment that it once had with the audience. The speaker suggests that modern Bollywood films have distanced themselves from the lives and emotions of regular people, unlike older films that connected deeply.
What kind of fan following does the South Indian film industry have?
-The South Indian film industry enjoys a religious, almost fanatical following. When a film releases, there is a massive turnout from the entire Telugu-speaking crowd, for example. This unity and support for regional cinema give it a strong cultural advantage.
How does the speaker describe cinema as a family outing in the past?
-In the past, going to the cinema was considered a fun, affordable family outing. Families would bring homemade food like parathas, enjoy the movie, and even buy affordable snacks like samosas and soft drinks, making it a delightful experience.
What does the speaker suggest Bollywood needs to do to improve its situation?
-Bollywood needs to reconnect with the audience by reducing ticket prices and making cinema more accessible. Additionally, they should create films that reflect the lives and struggles of common people to regain the cultural connection and excitement that once existed.

Outlines

00:00

📈 The Rise of South Indian Cinema vs. Bollywood's Decline

This paragraph explores why South Indian cinema has surged in popularity, surpassing Bollywood, which has faced a significant decline. The speaker suggests that this shift warrants serious study, emphasizing how the South maintains a strong, almost religious fan following. In contrast, Bollywood struggles to connect with the common audience, particularly those from different socio-economic backgrounds. Rising ticket prices and other costs are contributing factors to Bollywood's decreasing appeal, while South cinema stays grounded with relatable storytelling that resonates with everyday people.

05:01

🎉 Nostalgic Moments and the Magic of Cinematic Craze

The speaker shares a nostalgic moment from their past, reminiscing about the excitement of watching movies in single-screen theaters, particularly during the era of stars like Govinda. They describe the festive atmosphere in the cinema halls, where people would cheer, dance, and have an extraordinary experience while watching films. This lively and collective joy of watching movies, which was once widespread, has now faded. The speaker misses that sense of excitement and camaraderie that movies used to inspire among audiences.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡South Industry Rise

The term refers to the growing prominence of South Indian cinema in comparison to Bollywood. In the video, this concept is highlighted as a major trend, with South Indian films gaining religious-like fan followings and strong box-office performances, surpassing Bollywood, which has seen a decline. This rise is attributed to cultural relevance and storytelling that resonates with local audiences.

💡Bollywood Decline

This refers to the period of stagnation and decreasing appeal that Bollywood has faced in recent years. The speaker mentions Bollywood’s struggle to maintain its stronghold, with a loss of relatability to the common man and the rising costs of going to the theater contributing to its decline. This decline is contrasted with the rise of the South Indian film industry.

💡Relatability

Relatability is the ability of the audience to connect with the characters and stories in films. In the video, the speaker emphasizes how Bollywood has lost its relatability to the common man, as it no longer depicts everyday experiences or emotions that resonate with its primary audience. South Indian films, on the other hand, still show culturally grounded stories that people can identify with.

💡Religious Fan Following

This phrase describes the intense, devoted fanbase that South Indian cinema enjoys. The speaker notes that the fans of South Indian movies follow their actors and films with a near-religious zeal, attending movies en masse and ensuring box-office success. This level of devotion is seen as one of the reasons for the industry's growth.

💡Cultural Relevance

Cultural relevance refers to the depiction of familiar traditions, values, and everyday life in films. The speaker points out that South Indian films maintain strong cultural ties, showing stories and lifestyles that are still connected to the ground realities of their audiences. This makes the films more meaningful and engaging for viewers, unlike Bollywood, which is seen as drifting away from these roots.

💡Cinema as a Family Outing

The idea of going to the cinema as a family event is highlighted as a nostalgic aspect of the past. The speaker contrasts this with the present, where cinema outings have become a privilege due to high ticket and concession costs. The loss of cinema as an affordable family activity has negatively impacted Bollywood, according to the speaker.

💡High Ticket Prices

High ticket prices are cited as one of the major factors affecting Bollywood’s decline. The speaker explains how the cost of tickets, along with additional expenses for food and drinks, makes it expensive for families to enjoy a cinema outing. This has led to fewer people attending theaters, especially for Bollywood films.

💡Nostalgia for Bollywood's Past

The speaker reflects on the 'crazy times' of Bollywood's past, particularly the era of Amitabh Bachchan, Govinda, and Mithun Chakraborty. These actors and their films attracted mass audiences, who enjoyed a communal experience in the theater. The speaker uses this nostalgia to highlight what is missing in today's Bollywood – the sense of fun, relatability, and collective enjoyment.

💡Homogeneous Audience

The homogeneous audience refers to the unified, consistent viewership that South Indian films attract within their linguistic and cultural groups, like the Telugu-speaking population. The speaker emphasizes that when a Telugu film is released, the entire Telugu-speaking community comes together to watch it, strengthening its box-office performance. This contrasts with Bollywood, which has a more fragmented audience.

💡Box-Office Performance

Box-office performance refers to the financial success of films based on ticket sales. The video highlights the impressive box-office performance of South Indian films due to their strong fan following, cultural relevance, and homogeneous audience. In contrast, Bollywood films are struggling to achieve the same level of success, partly due to higher ticket prices and a lack of relatable content.

Highlights

South Indian film industry has seen a significant rise while Bollywood faced a decline.

There is a need for a serious study on why the South industry has risen and Bollywood declined.

South Indian cinema has a religious fan following which is quite different from Bollywood.

Bollywood is witnessing its actors working in the South industry, indicating a shift in the dynamics.

There was a time when Bollywood had a different perspective compared to South cinema.

The disconnect between the urban Bollywood industry and the audience in smaller towns is growing.

Cinema outings have become more expensive, with high ticket prices and additional costs like popcorn and drinks.

Going to the cinema used to be a family outing, but now it's becoming a privilege due to high costs.

South Indian movies showcase a more grounded, cultural, and relatable experience for the audience.

Bollywood needs to correct its approach and reconnect with the common people and their stories.

During Amitabh Bachchan's film festival, all shows were houseful, indicating the impact of past Bollywood stars.

The earlier cinema-going experience involved celebration, with people dancing and whistling in theaters.

There's a decline in the connection and joy of watching Bollywood movies that was present in the past.

South Indian cinema still retains its fan base through relatable, culturally grounded storytelling.

Recreating the magic and enjoyment of watching movies from the 80s and 90s can help Bollywood reconnect with its audience.