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The Morning Brief

Bollywood’s Big Budget Bugbear

Oct 10, 2024
Join Rajesh Naidu, ET's film business reporter, and veteran distributor Suniel Wadhwa, along with producer Vikram Malhotra, as they navigate Bollywood's current crisis. Discover why over 40 big-budget films have been shelved, despite the post-pandemic bounce. They delve into rising star fees, weak scripts, and shifting audience preferences towards OTT platforms. The trio also discusses innovative budget approaches and the need for consolidation in the industry to adapt and thrive in this new landscape.
30:03

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Quick takeaways

  • Bollywood is struggling with financial constraints, leading to a record number of shelved projects and diminished star power's effectiveness.
  • Audience preferences are shifting towards rich, thematic storytelling, prompting filmmakers to adopt a holistic approach and realistic budgets.

Deep dives

Challenges Facing the Hindi Film Industry

The Hindi film industry is currently grappling with significant challenges, with up to 40 big-budget projects shelved due to financial constraints, a stark increase compared to pre-pandemic figures. High costs associated with hiring movie stars and crew contribute to production companies’ hesitance to greenlight new films, as financial investment in promotional activities has diminished. Additionally, the industry witnesses a waning confidence in innovative scripts, resulting in a reluctance from both production houses and streaming platforms to invest in new content. As audience preferences shift toward quality and depth in storytelling, even big stars no longer guarantee box office success, making many projects increasingly risky and unbankable.

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