Bollywood: a 20 year old static journey

Since this is my first attempt at penning down "what's within my head", I'd like to speak about something that I can speak for hours and hours together: My aversion towards Bollywood. 

Growing up in a typical Mallu household, I barely watched Hindi shows or anything close to Bollywood. the typical mallu dramas, reality shows, occasional series, and cartoons were the only things I watched TV for. I wouldn't say that back then the Malayalam screens, both big and small had much to offer, it was pretty much the same as the *present* Bollywood. However, on reaching teenage, I started watching Hindi shows, back then Channel V was king, and Bollywood. Songs with heavy dance beats, which literally were sung everywhere, as AIB in one of its videos said, "ab ye gana bajega, shaadiyo mei bajega, annual day pe bajega, aur mayyat pe bhi bajega", lol, was enough to hook a teenager to the whole Bollywood space. Talking about the movies, the same plots weren't discerned back then, though every movie went by the "6 feet-6 pack-irresponsible" hero (probably in his late 30s or 40s), coupled with a 'starved and made up to perfection' actress who's life's sole aim is to be wooed and later married by the hero. Yet, it was fun to watch. Bollywood movies being trendsetters, no one expected anything different. This was around 2013-14, every movie was promoted solely by its party songs and an 'oh-so-melodious' romantic songs, which teenagers and young adults considered as ice breakers for every conversation, like 'Yeh gana suna'?. Boss, Sultaan, Desi Boyz, 2 States, Yariyaan, and every other movie. If you say, This was almost a decade ago, I'd ask, what about now? The same old crappy story, the same lovey-dovey plot, same ultra-dramatic dialogues, the same ending, and for a change, once in a while a patriotic movie (staring You know who :P). Forward to today, with the same surnames staring, or probably with one or two additional names, Bollywood hasn't got anything new to offer. In fact, even the catchy songs of the previous era are now compromised with songs titled "soft drink names". Lol. This is not one specific or a few specific movies, any movie you pick at random will have the same old stuff with probably the number of hot scenes increasing each year. Take for example the baaghi series or the SOTY series or Bathi gul meter chalu, or Simmba, or worse Bharat ugh. What are we even watching? Even a patriotic movie, or a complex space mission movie, or a significant sports person's biopic requires ultimate romance and cringe drama to be sold. Every movie needs to have a love angle to it, or else, what roles do they even have for women? honestly, no matter how progressive the industry tries to look, most movies are completely male-centric, with the woman having no life but to be the hero's love interest.  Also, no matter how much gen-z feminists try to disguise it under feminism and "feeling sexy about your body", it is well established that item songs serve one single purpose: objectifying women, like comparing yourself to a "tandoori murgi", being projected in semi-covered clothes, while the actor is packed in a suit. Like recently, when the Olympics uniform for the women's volleyball team was a bikini bottom, while for men it was a thigh-length short, feminists filled with rage, called it out. however, Indian feminists seem to brush it under "pragmatism". My aversion has a reason behind it, while men are never forced or persuaded to wear skimpy clothes for the movie/song to be in trend,  women are forced to do the same, while no feminist bats an eye. 

I don't know if it is the audience that prefers such movies, or whether they are helpless, having nothing else being offered. If it is the audience who likes such movies, I don't think there's any change we could expect. We've been watching the same plot with lots and lots of drama which most of us have been accommodated to. Even if there were to come movies with good plots and no unnecessary drama, most of them in the audience wouldn't like it, cos "what's the big deal?". I started re-watching Malayalam movies 2-3 years ago, and I must say, what progress the industry has made. from newer faces every year, and brilliant talent, both in the acting sphere and the storytelling sphere(i don't know to judge direction and cinematography). From crime thrillers, to reality which will make your skin crawl, the industry would never fail to impress you. the way each social issue is addressed in the most realistic way possible, JUST WOW! My admiration knows no bounds. I think this is what I admire the most in the Malayalam industry, that they never lose touch with reality, you could actually see everything in and around your life. From the locality to scenarios, or even the pots and pans used, everything feels like something you can relate to. Also the main part, the portrayal of actors, actresses, and even the side characters, in their most realistic appearance. That is the beauty of Malayalam cinemas, people in their real avatars, and finding talent in all shapes and sizes. People who don't fall within the "conventional" definition of beauty, are not used as comics or caricatures which is quite unlikely in other industries(mainly, Bollywood). 

It isn't that the industry has no one with talent, it has just closed its gates to outsiders. With the same big surnames with each coming generation having poorer acting skills, and the same production houses and 3-4 directors, the industry is like one big joint family in a locality, who is like a self-declared ruler,  with no one outside allowed inside. A Haryanvi character isn't played by a Haryanvi, but a south Bombay person is forced to make up a Haryanvi accent. A fat, dark, short, bald character isn't played by people with these traits,  what do we even say? There isn't a lack of talent, we are a country of over a billion people with brilliant minds, it's just the lack of inclusion. This is why even a slight deviation from the norm, makes the audience believe that that was the best the industry could offer.