Contemporary Indian cinema has overt global aspirations. With its reach spanning more than 100 countries, it’s also racing to win international accolades like the Oscars and the Golden Globe awards. Recent films have also done better in terms of artistic expression, and technical innovation and are competing with well-crafted OTT content. The competition from OTT platforms has forced filmmakers to shed the conventional “masala” format and adopt narratives that are more creative, realistic and meaningful. However, popular, star-centric, big-budget cinema still rules the psyche of the mass audience. The success of Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan shows that the audience for Hindi cinema is still bewitched by the conventional rhetoric of hyper-nationalism and the trappings of stardom.
formerly Mad Cornish Projectionist.