The new year, new me, season is here! Yeah, we are all geared to step in 2023 with a fresh start and of course a list of new year resolutions ( that happen to break the next day). But it’s always good to reflect on the mistakes of the past year and learn from them. Talking about mistakes, Bollywood didn’t seem to have its best year for obvious reasons. We imagined new year’s resolutions for Bollywood hoping to see some good cinema.
1. Do not call it a VFX film if it’s not.
Better VFX chaiye, kyuki Brahmāstra has raised our hopes! Brahmāstra is an apt example of how good VFX can make up for poor dialogues and bad writing. We have more VFX-heavy movies coming up like Adipurush, but if trailers are something we go by, the movie VFX was already trolled.
2. Do actual research instead of just calling a film a ‘factual representation’
Films like Samrat Prithviraj boasted of taking 18 years for their research but were riddled with inaccuracies. Not only was it factually incorrect, but there were glaring plot holes in the film. Maybe it’s time Bollywood puts efforts into the research because this movie shows the lack of it.
3. Don’t demand respect for films that have flopped.
Celebs need to start working on their content instead of asking for praise for their hard work. I mean, you cannot ask us to praise a flop movie that we didn’t like. Errr ever heard of constructive criticism? Sanjay Dutt making us feel guilty for not watching Shamshera is one classic example.
4. Don’t ruin classic sequels if you don’t have anything better to say.
We know Bollywood loves to make sequel films, it’s understood that good films are worth to be recreated. But at the cost of ruining the prequel? Definitely no! Talking about ruining sequels, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 was not-so-good and was problematic on many levels. Thanks to Tabu, her character in the film holds the movie till the end.
5. Don’t cast celebs from different generations.
Bollywood is known for casting characters with wide age gaps. People have been calling this out for the longest time, I remember. We hope this tops Bollywood’s new year’s resolution list.
Also read: 9 Bollywood Sequels That Lived Up To The Hype.
6. Don’t use propaganda/social issues to promote films.
It’s good to pick up social issues or even document stories from real life but promoting toxicity out of it is a bad idea. The Kashmir Files is also the latest example of this. We hope Bollywood stops doing that and delivers some not-so-problematic content.
7. Don’t remake or remix a classic song for us.
Like we don’t need sequels for old films unless they have something good to offer. It goes the same for Bollywood songs too. I mean, the biggest nightmare for me would be if they ruined Lucky Ali’s O Sanam for me.
8. Don’t cast celebs that are culturally incompatible.
The essence of any character lies in how authentically it is played and Bollywood has a history of casting big names that are inappropriate for the roles.
9. Don’t romanticize alcoholism in movies.
We have movies like Kabir Singh and Devdas that glorify alcoholism to such an extent that people start idolizing such problematic characters. It further leads to romanticizing toxic relationships and awful lovers, which also sets problematic standards of love in our heads.
Honestly, the new year, new me, seems like bullshit to me because I am happy with the new year, old me vibe. But I do hope we see some good Bollywood films soon.
Know more: Bollywood Movies That Succeeded Despite Being Boycotted In 2022.