Opinion: A look at Bollywood in 2024 from a cinema lover’s perspective

2024 is about to end in a few days and it’s time to take a look at the year that has passed. From the glitter of the supernatural genre to re-releases in theatres, a lot has happened in Bollywood. As a cinema lover, this is my opinion on how the last year was for the Hindi film industry.

Supernatural style was definitely the flavor of the season. Ajay Devgan’s Shaitan, Sharvari and Abhay Verma’s Munjya, Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor starrer Stree 2, Kartik Aaryan’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 – all emerged as successful ventures. This particular genre really attracted film lovers like me to the theatres.

Some light comedy films like Teri Baton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya, Lapata Ladies and Crew were also liked by me and other cinema lovers because these films also shone at the box office.

However, many films suffered losses due to poorly designed release calendars and conflicts that could have been avoided. There was a huge clash in the release dates of all the major festivals like Independence Day, Dussehra and Diwali, but many weeks including the Gandhi Jayanti weekend remained vacant. Could many other films have avoided box office failure if they had aimed for a single release? I think so.

Another big trend seen this year was the re-release of old Bollywood films. I wouldn’t be lying if I said that watching Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta and Saif Ali Khan starrer Kal Ho Na Ho 21 years after its original release was the highlight of my 2024. While I enjoyed some new and fresh films this year, the nostalgia and overall entertainment provided by a quintessential Bollywood film was unmatched.

Re-releases like Rockstar, Laila Majnu, Veer-Zaara and many more were also welcomed by the audience.

Another thing that should be noted is the lack of films starring big stars who have a huge fan base and attract audiences to theatres. Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Ranbir Kapoor and many others did not have a single film released this year. This may be another reason for people to cling to the nostalgia of the re-release.

In the end, I think 2024 was a mixed year for Bollywood, with some positives and some missteps for the future.