MUMBAI:
The
names
are
different.
The
stars
are
different
and
the
directors
too
are
different.
Still,
a
common
thread
runs
through
the
films
released
in
recent
times
-
all
of
them
have
bombed
at
the
box
office.
The
world's
second-largest
dream
factory
is
currently
living
its
worst
nightmare.
It
has
lost
a
whopping
Rs
290
crore
(on
an
investment
of
about
Rs
1000
crore)
this
year.
Romance,
patriotism,
NRI
dreams,
nothing
seems
to
be
working.
Predictions
have
been
made
that
the
cine-goers
are
tired
of
the
wad
of
star-spangled
visual
bubblegum,
which
usually
dominates
Bollywood.
Customarily,
the
ratio
of
hits
is
about
15-20
per
cent
and
this
year
only
7-8
per
cent
of
films
have
managed
to
generate
any
business.
Sanjay
Leela
Bhansali's,
Devdas,
an
opulent
film
based
on
Sarat
Chandra
Chattopadhyay's
tragic
love
triangle,
however,
managed
to
register
around
Rs
45
crore
turnover
for
the
distributors
alone.
The
hit
parade
remained
puny,
led
by
Vikram
Bhatt's
Rs
5
crore
spook
show
Raaz
that
raked
in
Rs
20
crore.
The
two
Bhagat
Singhs
together
incurred
losses
of
nearly
Rs
33
crore.
Ram
Gopal
Verma's
underworld
epic
Company
registered
a
Rs
4.8
crore
loss.
The
film
won
more
critical
acclaim
than
monetory
returns.
Salman
Khan's
Tum
Ko
Na
Bhool
Payenge,
a
tried
and
tested
rebirth
theme
made
with
a
budget
of
Rs
20.5
crore,
registered
a
Rs
4
crore
loss.
Diwali,
usually
the
most
upbeat
time
for
the
business,
sent
the
industry
in
mourning
with
new
films
like
Jeena
Sirf
Merre
Liye,
Annarth,
Dewangee,
Road
and
Mujhse
Dosti
Karoge
sinking
without
a
trace.
Distributors,
stung
by
flops,
have
realised
the
futility
of
spending
money
blindly
on
films
when
cash
counters
are
drawing
a
blank.
Manoj
Desai,
the
leading
film
exhibitor
expresses
his
anguish
against
the
producers
who
have
started
giving
away
their
satellite
television
rights
soon
after
the
films
are
released
at
the
theatres
causing
a
dip
in
the
business.
But
is
this
just
another
bad
year
or
are
people
not
interested
in
Hindi
films
any
more?
Why
can't
Bollywood
formula
connect
with
the
masses
any
longer?
Is
it
due
to
lack
of
talent?
These
are
some
questions
that
merit
answer.
Shyam
Benegal
whose
critically
acclaimed
Zubeida
starring
Karishma
Kapoor
and
Manoj
Bajpai
was
released
recently
on
a
TV
channel,
reacted
to
the
rough
phase
that
the
industry
has
been
undergoing.
Despite
the
lull,
there's
lot
happening
beneath
the
surface.
More
than
anything
else,
Bollywood
today
needs
an
innovative
vocabulary
that
is
low
on
cliches.
