Bollywood's problem is not boycotts, it is the quality. Or lack of it

A spectre is haunting Bollywood -- the spectre of boycottism. Forgive me for paraphrasing Karl Marx, but there is indeed a crisis in the Hindi film industry. There has been a recent social media trend of boycotting pretty much each and every new movie, and it is negatively affecting the box office returns -- or so it appears. #BoycottBollywood and movie-specific hashtags like #BoycottLaalSinghChaddha and #BoycottRakshaBandhan do the rounds whenever there is a major Hindi film release. Days before the release of 'Brahmastra', #BoycottBrahmastra has come into effect.

What is #BoycottBollywood?

Last month, 'Laal Singh Chaddha', Aamir Khan-led expensive remake of the 1994 American classic 'Forrest Gump', was released. While this movie is hardly the only one to be given the 'boycott treatment' but let's consider it to delve into this phenomenon. The film's release was preceded by a concerted campaign on social media sites, especially Twitter, to boycott the movie, with the aforementioned hashtags and tweets, many of which were identical, doing the rounds. The movie, despite decent reviews, tanked so thoroughly that Aamir reportedly had to forego his fees to compensate co-producer Viacom18 Studios for the losses.

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This was a project that had Kareena Kapoor, a huge star in her own right, as the female lead, and popular Telugu actor Naga Chaitanya in the cast. And yet, it was nowhere near enough.

Also Read:'Laal Singh Chaddha' movie review: Kareena Kapoor and the story outshine Aamir Khan

Why are Bollywood movies boycotted?

The prime reason for the boycott was said to be the futility of remaking a movie that is already popular and well-loved among Indian film buffs. A Bollywood treatment, it was argued, would ruin the story by turning it into a Karan Johar-style melodrama. There was also old anger against Aamir Khan.

Once a nearly universally beloved actor, Aamir earned the ire of those on the right side of the political spectrum first due to his movie 'PK'. Directed by Rajkumar Hirani, the film satirised superstitions and dogmatic religion by showing the perspective of a literal alien (played by Khan). Many accused Hirani and Khan of unfairly targetting certain practices among Hindus while not doing the same to Islam.

The reputation of Khan was exacerbated when at an event he spoke about how his wife (now divorced) Kiran Rao was fearing for their children amid the alleged rising intolerance in the country and was thinking of moving abroad. The comments were said against the backdrop of the assassination of intellectuals and the killing of Muslims. The comments created a lot of political furore as political parties played their usual blame game. In the meantime, Aamir delivered two huge hits -- 'Dangal' and 'Secret Superstar'. And then 'Thugs of Hindostan' was released and I think we can all agree no boycott was responsible for this flop. It was just terrible.

Behind the boycott: Claims of Bollywood being a den of Islamism, nepotism, and debauchery

Apart from Aamir, other actors, particularly Khans like Shah Rukh Khan and Saif Ali Khan, have been demonised by many of those on social media that call Bollywood Urduwood or Khanwood. The film industry, they claim, is dominated by Muslims and is against Indians and Hindus.

This also leads to the nepotism debate, one side of which says that the industry is closed to outsiders, who, despite their talent, have to struggle to score even supporting roles. Star kids, on the other hand, get plum roles straightout of the cradle. Or something.

Both of these claims -- that Bollywood is Urduwood and nepotism is prevalent -- have been appropriated by actors like Kangana Ranaut, who say they are in this position because of their toil, not because of 'recommendations'.

Things got worse after Sushant Singh Rajput died by suicide. A talented young actor, his death was blamed on the alleged debauchery of Bollywood. That he was introduced to drugs by his ex-girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty. Sushant, it was said, was dissatisfied due to his position in the film industry despite his visible talent. What followed was months of forwarded private WhatsApp messages in which Rhea allegedly apprised Sushant of the delights of being high on marijuana and so on.

Also Read:Arjun Kapoor reacts to boycott Bollywood trend: People took advantage of our decency

Is the fall of Bollywood because of Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam movies, and OTT?

Amid all this, more and more movies from the southern part of India, beginning with SS Rajamouli's 'Baahubali' franchise, have captured the attention of ex-Bollywood fans. The ready availability of dubbed versions of movies like 'K.G.F.', 'Pushpa: The Rise', and Rajamouli's latest 'RRR' have led many in the Hindi belt to move away from Bollywood movies. Movies in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam are said to be more rooted in Hindu traditions -- as opposed to deracinated Bollywood movies that are said to be steeped in western culture -- and many of them (like 'Baahubali') are actually based on Hindu myths. Movies from down south have certainly played a part in giving erstwhile Hindi movie fans a credible alternative.

OTT content has also arrived as a viable alternative. Now one does not have to go visit cinemas and buy expensive tickets and food to watch movies. Even most Hindi movies get a streaming release after a month or so. An Indian film buff is now exposed to the best International movies and shows. The incentive to actually go out of the house to a nearby theatre and queue up to enter is at an all-time low.

Also Read:Now, #BoycottBrahmastra trends as trolls target Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Amitabh Bachchan

What is behind Bollywood's failing? Boycotts? Not really

But the issues with Hindi movies go way beyond boycotts and the rise of Rajamouli et al. The thing is, apart from a few exceptions, Bollywood has been providing utter drivel in the form of popular cinema for years, even decades.

Salman Khan's second innings as a stolid, unstoppable hero who cracks bad jokes in movies like 'Wanted' and 'Dabangg' is only part of the problem -- a big part, though. The biggest Bollywood stars have failed to realise that they have to move away from the old ways. Now fewer and fewer moviegoers cheer and whoop at the 'entry' of the hero. Now, they want to see what happens next and after that and so on before they decide they are impressed.

It is not that the Indian movie fan has suddenly acquired a highbrow, rarefied taste. It's just that he or she is more demanding now -- due to the sheer prevalence of options. The star culture has not disappeared as yet, but it has certainly diminished. Good movies that are well-marketed will still find appreciation. They just have to jostle for space against a host of other, and usually better,options now.