The audacity of regional films

Regional cinema represents India in a much more holistic and meaningful manner than Bollywood

For long, Indian cinema has been synonymous with Bollywood. However, the pandemic-induced growth of over-the-top (OTT) platforms has opened up new vistas for audiences to watch and appreciate films from other parts of the country. Bollywood, which is largely influenced by the ebbs and flows of the box office, has often failed to capture the social complexities of Indian society. It is still quite distant from the experiences and sensibilities of the masses. It generally follows an escapist approach, where storytelling becomes a commodity. On the other hand, Malayalam, Assamese, Bengali, Marathi and Tamil cinema, to name a few, frequently depict gender, religious, caste and class disparities.

This is not to say that fantasy, which provides a break from the dreariness of our daily lives, is not an important aspect of cinema. But it is the safe distancing of Hindi cinema from hard-hitting issues such as the atrocities committed against Dalits and Muslims, religious majoritarianism, sexual inclusivity and class barriers that are a major concern.