Here’s a list of trends we hope end with 2019:
Historical period dramas: We’ve had films like Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi and Panipat that are trying to transform the individual lives of characters into major nationalistic statements. Why not just focus on the person instead? And it doesn’t end this year — in 2020, we have the Ajay Devgn-starrer Tanhaji and the Yash Raj Films production, Prithviraj . A bit much, don’t you think?
Akshay Kumar’s social messages: From Padman and Toilet: Ek Prem Katha to 2.0 and Gold , the actor has covered all the possible combinations and permutations of films that drive home a social message. We’ve all had enough and it needs to stop before he plays Dutee Chand!
Sick of sequels: I’m tired of the sequel scene. We had Housefull 4 and Dabangg 3 releasing recently. I’m not averse to sequels — we’ve had the James Bond series for decades — but you need to find a proper reason to extend the movie and the premise. This is something that stands true for Hollywood, too. Films like Avengers and Star Wars rarely give us anything that is exciting. It seems like we are watching a sequel because the earlier one made a lot of money.
For the heroes: I wish Kollywood films would stop diluting [its content] for mainstream impact. Karthi’s latest, Thambi , is one such example of a film that loses its essence in its attempt to please the star’s fans and broaden the film’s reach. Heroine-centric films, like Amala Paul’s Aadai , seem to handle their stars in a better way.
Message in a reel: I’ve had enough of Kollywood’s movies that come with a message, just for the sake of it. Directors here are compelled to think of a message and audiences tend to evaluate a movie based on this. A film must be judged on its cinematic quality.
As told to Nidhi Adlakha
