Rewind 2023: Directors became the new superstars while actioners ruled

A possibility has become a reality. All set to gross more than Rs 200 crore worldwide after four days in the theatres, Rajkumar Hirani’s comedy-drama Dunki has become the third Shah Rukh Khan-starrer to become a hit in 2023. Inspired by the reality of illegal migration, Dunki is not a larger-than-life action drama, Bollywood’s biggest commercial genre. The film received mixed reviews from critics and also faced a mighty challenger like Prashanth Neel’s big-budget action drama Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire released a day later. Why has Dunki worked? That has happened because it is a well-intentioned family entertainer with a relatable theme, good comedy, likeable music and good performances from the actors led by Vicky Kaushal in a brilliant special appearance. Family audiences have not rejected the film, which shows how well Hirani understands what his target viewership wants — although he is not at his best.

The present year has been good for Hindi films. Makers had to respond to the changing expectations of the better-informed and opinionated average filmgoer. And some of them did. It was surprising — and heartening — to see that the names of certain directors gave rise to pre-release hype along with the stars in their films. Known for his work in Tamil cinema, Atlee’s action drama Jawan was seen as a near-certain success because of the maker’s well-known ability to entertain audiences. The big question before the release of Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s action drama Animal was whether or not the director had made a less controversial film than Kabir Singh, his previous offering. As it turned out, he had not, but the film was an all-time blockbuster. The highlight of the romantic comedy Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani was its director Karan Johar, whereas Dunki made a lot of news because Hirani sat on the director’s chair to helm an SRK film. More than a couple of directors were spoken of in the same breath as the stars in their films this year, a clear indication of the growing maturity of the average viewer. Four films grossed more than Rs 500 crore globally in 2023: Siddharth Anand’s action drama Pathaan, Jawan, Animal and Anil Sharma’s period action drama Gadar 2. Jawan and Pathaan grossed more than Rs 1,000 crore worldwide, which reestablished SRK as the undisputed megastar. Maneesh Sharma’s action drama Tiger 3 starring Salman Khan, the fifth highest-grossing film of the year, collected an estimated Rs 466 crore worldwide. Had Tiger 3 performed equally well in 2022, the masses would have called it a noteworthy success. However, the film’s box-office performance was often criticised on social media in 2023, with many users insisting that Salman had been thrashed by SRK in a battle for box-office supremacy. Significantly, the box-office scores of all-time blockbusters touched such heights that a film made on an estimated production budget of Rs 100 crore that grosses Rs 300 crore worldwide may not be seen as a success by fans as well as haters of its leading stars in future. Viewers of Hindi commercial cinema will end the year with many happy memories, having been thoroughly entertained by several box-office monsters this year. While the industry will be eager to know how well Dunki will ultimately perform, observers and fans are already waiting for the release of Siddharth Anand’s much-awaited action drama Fighter on 25 January. Featuring Deepika Padukone, Hrithik Roshan and Anil Kapoor, Fighter seems destined to become the first big success of 2024 — if the film is not an unexpected disappointment. The sight of crowded movie halls screening Hindi films has allowed Bollywood to dream of big outcomes. The excitement around promising entertainers is felt soon after the release of their trailers. After going through a lull in 2022, the industry must have been praying for the return of better times. That happened, which is the best possible news the industry could have hoped for. Celebrations erupted inside movie halls when SRK appeared on the screen for the first time in Pathaan; when SRK’s father also played by the actor in the second of his two roles was introduced in Jawan; and when Bobby Deol danced with a glass of whisky on his head in Animal. Viewers cheered for the stars during such mass-friendly sequences, and coins were hurled towards the screens during whistle-worthy moments in some small-town theatres. As the year comes to a close, it is clear that Bollywood has delivered what the viewer ultimately seeks: larger-than-life entertainment. Will cash-rich producers make more escapist action films in future? Considering how well the biggest among such films have performed this year, that is inevitable. As we wait for the announcements of upcoming projects, it will be interesting to see how many action-packed entertainers starring major names will promise to allure the average viewer in the coming months. Fans of other genres will observe closely as well, as the industry gets ready to welcome a new year with hopes and plans once again. The writer, a journalist for three decades, writes on literature and pop culture. Among his books are ‘MSD: The Man, The Leader’, the bestselling biography of former Indian captain MS Dhoni, and the ‘Hall of Fame’ series of film star biographies. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views. Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.