Indian cinema trends 2023: A year in review
The end of the year is a great time to map the trends of our cultural landscape to see where we stand, what can be retained and what can be improved. Cinema, like all art, is a reflection of the times we live in and in this column, I would like to reminisce and identify trends from Indian cinema that would be worth continuing in future years. In no particular order, here are some themes that I found to be refreshing and unique in the online and theatrical releases of 2023.
Women on wanderlust
Historically, mobility has been a crucial issue for women all over the world. To be able to traverse parts of their country freely, safely, without judgement and with infrastructural support have been some key concerns for women traveling in India.
Only in the last two decades has it become more common for Indian women to take leisure trips alone or with a group of friends and acquaintances, without male family members or friends escorting them. This trend has increasingly begun reflecting in the movies and shows produced in the country.
A recent film called “Dhak Dhak” (available for streaming on Netflix), shows four women who travel from Delhi to Ladakh (a distance of 1061 kms, approximately 660 miles) on motorbikes.
The most endearing backstory out of all four protagonists is that of the 60-something grandmother, Manpreet Kaur Sethi, who wins a heavy-duty motorbike in a scratch contest that she enters hoping to win a microwave oven. Reluctantly, she learns to ride the bike and not only gains agency over her mobility, but also harbors dreams of traveling to Khardungla, the highest motor-able pass in the world that sits at an altitude of 18,380 ft in the Ladakh province.
Women riding heavy motorbikes, especially to such extensive distances, is still fairly uncommon in India, but the film, without being preachy, normalizes the concept for the viewers. The four women hailing from different backgrounds and age groups add more depth and perspective to the narrative and make for interesting dialogue.
In a similar vein, an eight-episode Tamil-language series called “Sweet Kaaram Coffee” shows three women from different generations belonging to the same household taking a road trip together. In the Indian family unit, women largely perform existing roles decreed by the society, often ignoring or being unaware of their true self. The series, through the protagonists of the grandmother, daughter-in-law and granddaughter, allow the characters and the audience to view them outside of their social roles.
A refreshing film called “The Tenant” that released in 2023 in Indian theatres after being shown at several international festivals featured a modern, young, carefree woman, Meera, who moves into a housing society in a Mumbai suburb. Her clothes, lifestyle and boldness attract all kinds of attention from the building members and elicit stereotypical reactions from them. Amidst that unsavoury and unfriendly atmosphere, a beautiful friendship blossoms between Meera and Bharat a school boy on the verge of puberty. I was honoured to have attended a special screening of the film in India in February 2023. I hope “The Tenant” releases on online streaming soon so that it can reach a wider audience.
Ordinary protagonists, extraordinary impact
For decades, the majority of Indian cinema featured monotonous characters that were largely unrelatable: a macho hero, a virtuous heroine, a conniving villain and a handful side characters from the lives of the protagonists. The social class, median age group and geographical location of these characters was almost always the same in every film. While this is still predominantly the case, over the last two decades, filmmakers have created impactful cinema along with box office success by showing protagonists from various backgrounds and age groups.
A 2023 comedy called “Mast Mein Rehne Ka” (available on Amazon Prime Video), takes a closer look at the aging, lonely inhabitants of an over-crowded Mumbai city. At the center of the plot are V.S. Kamath and Mrs. Handa, both in their 70s, living alone, who share the tragic occurrence of burglaries in their homes and bond over drab suspect identification trips to the police station. Other key characters include Nanhe, a poor out-of-work tailor, who turns out to be the common burglar at both houses, and Rani, a street dweller, who Nanhe falls in love with. These are realistic characters from everyday lives that have authentic dialogues and reactions. The writing and performances make the film highly entertaining without the need for grandiose visuals and heroic characters.
That being said, a grand film that features all the ingredients of a typical Bollywood film, “Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani” (available on Amazon Prime Video), uses the very tropes of musical extravaganza, opulent sets, and an attractive leading pair to make a clear, nuanced commentary on gender roles and dating in the present scenario. In a time of growing media censorship, we need more big-budget filmmakers to choose subjects of social change and not get carried away in the flow of propaganda for the sake of profits.
Another gem from this year’s releases is “12th Fail” (releasing on Disney Hotstar on Friday, December 29th), a film about national-level competitive-exam aspirants and the hardships they endure to get coveted seats in educational institutions. The film is based on a book by the same name written by Anurag Pathak that traces the real-life struggles of Manoj Kumar Sharma, an Indian Police Service officer and Shraddha Joshi Sharma, an Internal Revenue Officer. “Zwigato” (yet unreleased on online streaming), the story of a food delivery rider puts the spotlight on the workforce that keeps the gig economy rolling and the fickle world of ratings and incentives that determine the outcome of their lives.
Revival of classics in theaters
This year, I observed a growing trend of classics returning to the big screen in several Indian theaters. Pioneered by the Film Heritage Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to restoring and preserving India’s cinematic heritage, a number of film festivals were organized in the country celebrating timeless Indian films. I’m happy to have contributed to the revival of classics here in New England through my partnerships with various local venues including The Stone Church, Latchis Theatre and Epsilon Spires in Brattleboro. Since 2021, I have presented classics such as “Shree 420” (1955), “Pyaasa: (1957), “Mughal-E-Azam” (1960), “Sholay” (1975) and “Umrao Jaan” (1981), and will very much continue to do so. To be able to savor classics on a theatrical screen is a rare delight for any cinephile and I hope that this trend only gains momentum in the coming years.
Special mention
A film that moved me deeply in this year’s releases was “While We Watched” (available for streaming on pbs.org and YouTube), a documentary on the fall of an Indian media agency called NDTV (New Delhi Television Limited) viewed through the journalistic efforts of Ravish Kumar. The film traces Kumar’s actions in the midst of the crumbling journalism and free speech in India as he navigates hate calls from right-wing extremists, death threats and safety concerns for him and his family. The documentary officially released in 2022 but was shown internationally in a widespread reach in 2023 along with talks and discussions featuring the director Vinay Shukla and Ravish Kumar. I had been following the makers’ social media pages and noticed how every screening preceded long queues of audiences waiting to watch this powerful film. There’s also a discussion between Shukla and Kumar with John Oliver on YouTube. Check it out here:
This column was originally featured in the December 28, 2023 issues of Vermont newspapers Brattleboro Reformer, Bennington Banner and Manchester Journal. A special thanks to all the readers of this column who have reached out to me with appreciation for my articles. Some of us have the luxury to keep ourselves entertained in times of despair around the world. I hope that the new year brings an end to all the wars on our planet, and peace prevails.