Is Bollywood witnessing a downside trend post Pathaan release?

New Delhi: After a string of flops during the pandemic, it took “Badshaah” of Bollywood to breathe life into Bollywood with his latest release “Pathaan”.

According to trade pundits, Pathaan made Rs 526 crore in India and 1022 worldwide giving Bollywood a much-needed boost it was missing. Pathaan not only made audiences rush back to theatres but recreated the magic of the “single-screen” experience.

But has it done enough to bring audiences back to theatres?

Though Shah Rukh showed Bollywood that his reign as the true king of Bollywood continues, however, movies post-Pathaan release fail to spread their wings at the box office.

Both films released post-Pathaan are a remake of regional films. Akshay Kumar's Selfiee is a remake of the Malayalam film- Driving License while Kartik Aaryan-starter Shehzada is a remake of a Telegu movie Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo starring south India's heartthrob- Allu Arjun.

Despite the remake of hit films, multiplexes are running dry once again.

Last month's release Selfie starring Akshay Kumar and Emraan Hashmi got a disappointing start at the box office with Rs 2.55 crore opening, managing Rs 10.30 crore after the week ended post its release according to the trade analyst, Taran Adarsh.

Kartik Aaryan starter Shehzada struggled to reach Rs 30 crore over a period of 12 days.  So does that mean that Bollywood is collapsing again? And why is it so?

If we look at the storyline of Selfiee and Shehzada they are pegged as pure entertainers just like Pathaan and were not meant to win over critics, and had a huge spend on marketing but despite heavy promotions the movies bombed at the box office and only showing a downward trend.

 Average theatrical trailers

 Shehzada's vibe matched nowhere close to Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo. Kartik Aaryan couldn't live up to the “dhamkedaar” persona of Allu Arjun. The songs and dialogues were also not able to create much hype and excitement. The recreation of the song “character dheela” lacked substance.

Selfie on the other hand gave away half of its plot in the trailer. Moreover, the title suggested a Gen Z promise with the potential of accommodating Tik Tok humour but unfortunately the movie came across as a family drama more than a comedy. Although the recreation of the title track “Main Khiladi Tu Anari” was able to create traction, especially with the 90s generation.

Overexposure

Shah Rukh Khan does a film in four years while Akshay Kumar does four to five films in a year, and before the audience could miss him he is back on the screen again.

Though Kartik Aaryan is still new to the game and has a career to build, a seasoned actor like Akshay Kumar cannot afford to add one flop after the other, so maybe it's about time he re-evaluates his formula of success.

Bad idea of remaking a hit film

 Post Pushpa Allu Arjun became a heartthrob and a household name even in North India. The success and the impact of the film were so immense that the mass audience automatically got hooked on Allu Arjun's previous work. In such a scenario it becomes difficult for an actor to recreate the same magic done by an established actor.

Similarly, a niche audience, who was already exposed to the movie Driving License, will not opt for Selfiee unless it comes with a novelty factor. However, the same is not true for the mass audience.          

Let the “Boycott (Gang)” be bygones

 Off-late movies with a “Khan” tag are targeted by boycott gangs which only ends up evoking more curiosity about the film in the minds of the audiences. Unfortunately for “Laal Singh Chadha” that curiosity was not enough to pull the audience to the theatres, but it very well got them engaged at the OTT platform.

However, in the case of Pathaan, the wait of seeing their most loved actor on screen overpowered the sentiments of the boycott gang which only goes to say that the success of a film is purely dependent on the plot and other aspects of a film and not the controversy aspect.

But having said that, hope the downward trend in Bollywood post-Pathaan release will be temporary as all eyes are now on Ranbir Kapoor's latest “Tu Jhooti Main Makkar” which is scheduled to release next week.