Although the beginning of 2023 saw Shah Rukh Khan finally taking charge and ensuring a big comeback for Bollywood with Pathaan - the SRK-Deepika Padukone starrer theatrical release with collections of about ₹1,050.3 crore worldwide became the second-highest-grossing Hindi film of all time (after Dangal) - the rest of the year was pretty unimpressive as far as mass entertainers are concerned (except the Shahid Kapoor-helmed massy action thriller, Bloody Daddy that according to Ormax was the most-watched movie on OTT this year). Until Karan Johar brought back the magic of quintessential Bollywood romance and family drama with the Ranveer Singh-Alia Bhatt starrer Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, which got the audience flocking to the theatres. With a conspicuous absence of any pan-India movie hit unlike last year, it seems Bollywood is reclaiming lost ground and that the age of the Bollywood mass cinema and its stars is not over yet.
Also, curiously enough, the biggest mass entertainers of the year have come from YRF and Dharma, two of the most prominent production houses in Bollywood, which in recent years have faced severe backlash from the boycott brigade and have been largely dismissed by a section of the critics as relics of the past. The success of Pathaan and Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani not only proves once again that these second generation producers indeed understand the pulse of the people and the business of cinema well, but that they are also turning a new leaf and upgrading themselves to the sensibilities of modern times.
What's more heartening to note is that along with these mass entertainers which have got the cash registers ringing, the year has also seen some rather hard-hitting and poignant movies marked by good storytelling, adept direction and nuanced acting, making one believe (and hope) that better days for Hindi cinema might just be round the corner.
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