‘Housefull.’ Not sure when we last witnessed the elation surrounding it. Not saying never, but yes, seldom does it happen now. The half-empty theatres are just getting amplified every day. The audience looks restless mostly, and outside these theatres, viewers are binge-watching Korean series (Doctor Slump, A Shop for Killers, and others), dissecting South Indian blockbusters (Kalki 2898 AD, Manjummel Boys, and more), and immersing themselves in Hollywood’s genre-bending narratives. Bollywood, stuck in a time warp, still believes it’s 2010. The world has moved on—but has the industry even noticed?

What we mostly fail to realise, even in life, as ordinary beings, is that not everything in Algebra. You pick up an equation, place it on (a+b)², and get a result; everything isn’t calculative.

Especially in life, and then, of course, in the cinema. As Martin Scorsese says, “Cinema is a matter of what’s in the frame and what’s out.” In most cases, as we see in the cinema today, ‘what’s out’ is what gets ‘missed.’

And to contradict my own thoughts, I also realise that cinema is ‘calculative’ when we talk about ‘business.’

But then is it a wrong equation that we are trying to solve, which is why we see theatres empty nowadays? Also, is it why the business is taking a downward spiral? Hindi cinema gross box office collections declined by 13 per cent in 2024, as per The Hindu BusinessLine.

First things first, I believe we are not yet over ‘theatrical dominance.’ Somewhere, OTT is treated as a ‘disgrace.’ But spitting facts here… the ‘digital evolution’ has happened. Theatrical craze worked once, yes! Just as I yawned in the very beginning, saying ‘Housefull.’ But now? I like to be full in my own house; lol.

The post-COVID cracks are now too deep to ignore.

The audience that once cheered for predictable masala films has grown up on nuanced narratives from global cinema. Streaming platforms have redefined content consumption, yet Bollywood clings to outdated distribution models. Even regional industries have embraced risk and reinvention, while Bollywood remains shackled to nostalgia.

A popular Gen-Z thing I get to hear a lot is ‘delulu-solulu’, and with that, I think Bollywood’s stuck in a nostalgic-loop-lulu.

And the audience is living the Solulu, which is watching South and Hollywood steal the spotlight while Bollywood keeps remixing its past- this delusion (delulu) is costing Bollywood its relevance.

Nostalgia is great, but the truth is different. The pandemic didn’t just disrupt theatrical releases—it rewired audience behaviour.

We stream. We binge. We pause. We rewind.

And yet, Bollywood treats OTT platforms like they’re the scraps left for those who couldn’t make it to the “big leagues.” Contrast this with Malayalam cinema, where C U Soon and Joji became instant successes by embracing digital-first storytelling. Korean studios actively collaborate with Netflix, Amazon, and Apple TV+ to create content that travels.

And if they are aiming for OTT, Nadaaniyan is what we get! Sighs…

What goes more? It is the global blindspot: when Cannes is just a photo-op– The industry loves the glamour but ignores the grind. Yes, we have “All We Imagine as Light,” but how often do we see the mainstream media talk about it? Or do we hear it from the head honchos in the industry? We also have “Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know,” but it’s the same story again; these are not from the ‘Bollywood’ as we hail. We have RRR—but that wasn’t Bollywood, it was Telugu cinema.

Bollywood clings to its 2010s masala formula while audiences devour layered narratives from South Korea, Hollywood, and regional Indian cinema.

Jawan and Pathaan thrived by borrowing South Indian grandiosity, but Bade Miyan Chote Miyan and Adipurush flopped by sticking to tired templates. Globally, neo-noir, psychological thrillers, and dark comedies reign, yet Bollywood remains obsessed with reboots and remakes—at this point, even Google is exhausted searching synonyms for “redundant.”

But it isn’t redundant out of lack of ‘creativity’ but ‘fear.’ Bollywood remains risk-averse, prioritising commercial security over storytelling depth. The result? Relevance fades, and the audience moves on.

It’s to say, Bollywood’s 2010s mindset will cost it its ‘future’… but hey, who am I to say? Just another keyboard warrior who thinks watching a few international films makes me an industry expert.

Maybe I should stick to my lane—like Bollywood sticks to remakes. But if you’re still here, not logging into Netflix mid-read, congrats! You officially have more patience than most Bollywood scriptwriters… and possibly a higher tolerance for ‘recycled’ content.

Wink! Wink!