As the film industry struggles to rebound from significant losses due to consecutive failures, a new game of perception management is unfolding. Here’s a look at how the process of faking and creating a star is being engineered.

The Post-Pandemic Bollywood Routine

Imagine this scenario: a crowd gathers for an intellectually stimulating session on filmmaking. The audience, though not particularly eager to learn, is earnest in their participation. They applaud, laugh, and sometimes get bored, but their presence creates the impression of a full house, leading to appealing visuals. Once the session ends, many of them leave and move to the next event. There, they swiftly change into new T-shirts promoting a popular action film and start dancing to the beat of traditional drums as the star makes an appearance. The auditorium, once again, appears packed. This strange new norm in 2024’s post-pandemic Bollywood involves paying crowds to generate social media hype. In this era, stars are no longer naturally born but are meticulously crafted.

The Turning Point of 2020

The year 2020 stands out as particularly turbulent for the Hindi film industry. The tragic passing of actor Sushant Singh Rajput triggered a political storm, resulting in a barrage of accusations and derogatory labels against Bollywood personalities. Beloved celebrities found themselves the subjects of hateful hashtags. Simultaneously, South Indian films gained recognition as the ‘purer’ alternative, and widespread calls to boycott Hindi films echoed across social media.

A Resurgence in 2023

Fast forward to 2023, when Bollywood achieved its best box office performance ever. The resounding success managed to quell social media critics and temporarily silence the boycott campaigns.

In this manipulated environment, where the authenticity of stardom is questioned, the film industry continues to adapt and evolve, striving to recover from past setbacks while navigating the complexities of modern-day audience perception.