English Books read in 2024 - 2

 Continuing from the previous blog post, let’s delve further into the books:

1. Beyond A Boundary- C.L.R. James

“Time would pass, old empires would fall and new ones take their place, the relations of countries and relations of classes had to change, before I discovered that it is not quality of goods and utility which matter, but movement, not where you are or what you have, but where you have come from, where you are going and the rate at which you are getting there."

This statement from C.L.R. James’s classic book shows role the game of cricket has played in the making of the history of Caribbean society. C.L.R. James, the historian and cricket writer, embarks on a biographical journey from 1910s to 1950s in West Indies, and England to prove the point. He invites us to look closely the complex ties between political struggles of decolonization through cricket and the long process of decolonizing his own mind from the gaze of the western civilization.  Beyond a Boundary starts by focusing on wonder years of the writer in Trinidad and his observation on the intermingling of the race and class in the local cricket. The writer advocates cricket as an art form like Greek literature by observing the game not just as a sport, but as a craft with rhythm, beauty, and a narrative flow. He argues in the book that cricket was a form of resistance against colonial oppression, especially as Black players took on leading roles, challenging racial stereotypes and social barriers. Two players he often highlighted in this context were Learie Constantine and W.G. Grace to argue that cricket is inseparable from the politics and social structures of its time. The idea of “leaving politics out of sports” is a topic of ongoing debate, but this book makes us aware that the injustice "beyond the boundary" ultimately impacts the cricket. The players are not islands of sportsmanship while being deeply engulfed into societal structures, systemic biases and burden of the history. C.L.R. James embodies a unique and compelling mixture of identities: a Marxist historian, an anglophile in initial years, a Black intellectual, and a passionate lover of cricket. The book is written through this multi-faceted perspective, that is as much about the identity, and struggle as it is about cricket.

2. A Corner of a Foreign Field: The Indian History of a British Sport - Ramachandra Guha

Our inability to understand and tell sociological stories is one of the key reasons we are struggling with how to respond to social transitions. Without embedding social narratives, we miss understanding who benefitted, who was left behind, and what kind of society we were building. The idea that we could somehow eliminate casteist mindsets, religious differences, and racist discrimination by ignoring such identity question under the veil of secular cricket leads to formation of a veil of ignorance. 

Social history of Indian cricket suffers from one enormous disadvantage: that we as a people, have criminal indifference to written records. The history of India, like that of any other country, has been a story of social inequities, exploitation of the common people, religious conflict, and so on. The history of the cricket in India is no exception to this.  

A Corner of a Foreign Field: The Indian History of a British Sport is a book depicting religious fault lines. A book talking about caste. A book talking about racism. Yet, the book is written for the lover of the game by a writer looking from the perspective of the history, sports, social transformation, and Indian Independence. The book is divided into four chapters—Race, Caste, Religion, and Nation—and features the experiences of the cricketers, politicians, and Maharajas making it an engaging and interesting read.

The book captures the long journey of cricket in India—from its beginning as a game created by an alliance of imperial and Indian elites to becoming a sport for the masses. The book shows how Indians overcame the deeply rooted caste barriers in society and challenged the British notion of racial superiority in the game of cricket. Cricket tournaments like the Bombay Quadrangular and Bombay Pentangular were initially organized based on religious communities of Hindu, European, Muslim, and Parsees leading to widespread riots and political unrest. The book also ends with the origins of the Ranji Trophy and the formation of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

This book introduced me to Palwankar Baloo and his brothers, early Indian cricketers, and shared stories about famous players like C.K. Nayudu, Lala Amarnath, Vijay Hazare, and Vijay Merchant. This is a must-read book capturing cricket history of India in an effortless and seamless manner.

~Worth a Look~

1. The Country Without a Post Office- Agha Shahid Ali

2. The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien

3. Prisoners of Geography - Tim Marshall

4. Missing In Action: Why You Should Care About Public Policy - Pranay Kotasthane

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English Books read in 2024 - 1

I read the books for perspectives aesthetics not much bothered about aesthetics, political orientations, and reviews. Good books who present realistic complexity and ambiguity with clarity are captivating and satisfying reading experience. Sharing the review of brilliant books read in 2024:

~Highly Recommended~

1. Time of Parting - Anton Donchev (Alternate)

A nation is shaped by its shared memories. In literature, we can see the elements that make up a collective memory—often rooted in a common pain —that influence national identity. Newly independent countries often seek a fresh start, breaking away from their historical past. Anton Donchev's Time of Parting dives deep into a time when a nation, Bulgaria, survived by enduring humiliation under Ottoman rule. 

The Balkans, including Bulgaria, were subjected to centuries of Ottoman rule starting in the late 14th century, which brought significant social and religious transformation. Catholic powers (Papacy and Habsburgs) were often perceived as foreign and adversarial.  The Ottoman conquest and the subsequent division between Catholic and Orthodox spheres of influence in the Balkans gave rise to opportunities for Muslims to act as a unifying force in a divided region. While many apologists dispute a direct connection between religious violence and radical Islam, the nuanced history of Bulgarian religious life under Ottoman rule shows that society experienced both pragmatic coexistence and adaptation, as well as periods of institutional discrimination and social unrest. 

The book explores a painful choice for a community: whether to hold on to their beliefs and die for them or convert to a foreign religion to stay alive. Set during the Islamization of Bulgaria in the summer of 1668 particularly in the Rhodope Mountains, the story doesn't claim to be an exact historical record. Instead, it reflects how those events shaped Bulgarian culture and identity.  The theme of being forced to choose a side resonated strongly with the dominant ideologies of the polarized world. The novel has sparked ongoing debates about how the Ottoman period and forced religious conversions are viewed in Bulgaria. With the changing political landscape, Time of Parting continues to be a highly discussed and impactful piece of literature. 

2. India's Wars: A Military History, 1947-1971 - Arjun Subramaniam

A new generation of Indians are rediscovering their military history, realizing that the popular narratives often fail to reflect the complexities of the truth. Today, India's military remains resource-constrained, overstretched, and increasingly aware of the dual-front threat posed by China and Pakistan. Its strategy and preparedness are shaped by a mix of historical conflicts, and contemporary geopolitical realities. For anyone genuinely interested in understanding the historical wars with our Pakistan and China, "India's Wars: A Military History, 1947-1971" by Arjun Subramaniam is an indispensable read.  The book offers a compelling examination of India’s military evolution post-independence, with detailed accounts of pivotal wars, including the Indo-Pak Wars (1947-48, 1965, and 1971) and the Sino-Indian War of 1962. Battles into contested regions like Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (referred to as Azad Kashmir by Pakistan), Gilgit-Baltistan, Arunachal Pradesh (claimed by China as South Tibet) are meticulously explored, often accompanied by maps to provide clarity. While the historical narrative may pose a challenge for casual readers, the book is rewarding for those seeking the intricacies of battlefield strategies and political decision-making. I have few notable observations as a reader:

• The departure of the British left India with inadequately demarcated borders leading to the territorial disputes.
• India has reliance on idealism and restraint that clashed with the pragmatic, force-centric approaches of adversaries like China and Pakistan.
• Unfolding of events in China India 1962 war is tragic tale for the Indians. Tragedy presents situations in which there is a desperate urge to assign blame. In all this chain of events, failure of intelligence and political decision framework hurts most.
• India's limited intelligence-gathering capabilities and the "fog of war" resulted in critical decision-making dilemmas. These inadequacies were evident in moments of crisis, often amplifying the challenges faced during conflicts.
• India captured the strategically vital Haji Pir Pass during the 1965 war but returned it to Pakistan under the Tashkent Agreement, forfeiting a key advantage in controlling infiltration routes into Kashmir.  
• After the Bangladesh Liberation War, India released about 90,000 Pakistani prisoners of war without leveraging their return for a resolution on Kashmir or territorial securities, drawing criticism for missing a major bargaining chip.
• Post-1971 victory, India did not negotiate for the transfer of border enclaves or land on Bangladesh’s side that could have reduced the vulnerability of the Siliguri Corridor (“Chicken’s Neck”), leaving the Northeast perpetually exposed. The Siliguri Corridor remains at risk due to inadequate geopolitical leverage post-1971 and greater China-Bangladesh collaboration.

Subramaniam also highlights a hard-learned lesson for India: in international relations, realism often trumps idealism. It took nearly 25 years for Indian leadership to move beyond the non-violent and nonaligned ideals of the independence movement and adopt force as a legitimate instrument of statecraft. This shift is at the heart of India's modern military doctrine, making the book an essential resource for understanding the evolution of its strategic mindset.

~Worth a Look~

1. Indians: A Brief History of a Civilization - Namit Arora

2. The Sources of Social Power: Volume 1, A History of Power from the Beginning to AD 1760 - Michael Mann

3. Absolute Power - Inside story of the National Stock Exchange’s amazing success, leading to hubris, regulatory capture and algo scam - Sucheta Dalal

4. The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins

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Hindi Books read in 2024

In 2024, I read four original Hindi books and two Hindi-translated Urdu books. This was more an effort to stay connected to my mother tongue and culture. 

~Highly Recommended~

1. लपूझन्ना – अशोक पांडे

पतरस के मजमीं  (हिंदी संस्करण) – पतरस बुख़ारी 

यह एक दिलचस्प, बुद्धिमान, अद्भुत और हास्यपूर्ण पुस्तक है। "पतरस के मजमीं" केवल ग्यारह कहानियों वाली एक छोटी-सी किताब है, जिसमें हर कहानी का विवरण अलग है और उनकी ताजगी एक सदी बीत जाने के बाद भी जस की तस बनी हुई है। पाठक इसमें कई चीजों को खुद से जोड़ पाएंगे, जिससे कहानियों का आनंद और भी बढ़ जाता है। लेकिन इसे इस तरह लिखा गया है कि पाठक हर वाक्य पढ़ते समय हँसेंगे और हर कुछ पंक्तियों के बाद मुस्कुरा उठेंगे।

2. खोया पानी (हिंदी संस्करण) – यूसुफ़ी मुश्ताक अहमद

"खोया पानी" पाकिस्तानी लेखक मुस्‍ताक अहमद यूसुफ़ी की एक उल्लेखनीय पुस्तक है, जो 1947 के विभाजन से पहले के अविभाजित भारत और नवगठित पाकिस्तान के पात्रों के जीवन पर आधारित है। यह पुस्तक हास्य, विडंबना और मानव स्वभाव की गहरी समझ से भरपूर है। यूसुफ़ी ने उस उथल-पुथल भरे समय के जीवन की विसंगतियों और विरोधाभासों को अपने अनूठे अंदाज में प्रस्तुत किया है। वह अपनी बुद्धिमत्ता और हास्य के माध्यम से उस त्रासदी और उन लोगों की संघर्षशीलता को उजागर करते हैं, जिन्होंने इस समय का सामना किया। इस पुस्तक के पात्र नौकरशाही की अक्षम्यताओं, स्थानीय विचित्रताओं और परिवार तथा बहुसांस्कृतिक समाज की अजीबोगरीब स्थितियों में उलझे हुए हैं।  मुझे यह पुस्तक क्यों पसंद है?  यह पुस्तक पूर्व-विभाजन भारत की यादों से भरी हुई है, जो गहरी नॉस्टेल्जिया से रंगी है। इसमें उस खोई हुई सरलता, सांस्कृतिक आदान-प्रदान और उस समय की एक झलक है, जब धार्मिक मतभेद सार्वजनिक चर्चा पर हावी नहीं थे।

3. मेरी आत्मकथा – किशोर साहू

किशोर साहू एक महान निर्देशक और लेखक थे, जिनका योगदान बॉलीवुड के स्वर्ण युग में अत्यंत महत्वपूर्ण रहा।किशोर साहू की आत्मकथा "मेरी आत्मकथा" एक संक्षिप्त लेकिन जानकारीपूर्ण पुस्तक है, जिसमें उन्होंने अपने  बचपन, शिक्षा, कला के क्षेत्र में प्रवेश, अपने योगदान के बारे में विस्तृत विवरण है। उनकी जीवनी उनके समय की धड़कनों और सिनेमा के अनुभवों को सरल और सहज भाषा में जीवंत दस्तावेज़ के रूप में प्रस्तुत करती हैं | 

4. आग और पानी – व्योमेश शुक्ल

किताबवाला के साप्ताहिक एपिसोड में, सौरभ द्विवेदी ने लेखक व्योमेश शुक्ल से उनकी पुस्तक 'आग और पानी' पर गहन बातचीत की। इसके बाद पुस्तक को पढ़ने का विचार किया है। आख़िरकार, लंबे इंतज़ार के बाद किताब मिल गई और मैंने बनारस के बारे में पढ़ा जिसके ज़र्रे-ज़र्रे में कोई न कोई अद्बभुत बात है।

जब मार्क ट्वेन कहते हैं कि 'बनारस इज़ ओल्डर दैन द हिस्ट्री' यानी ये शहर इतिहास से भी पुराना है तब वाकई लगता है कि बनारस संस्कृति की आदिम लय का शहर है! व्योमेश शुक्ल ने अपनी किताब में बनारस की आत्मा, उसके ऐतिहासिक और आध्यात्मिक महत्त्व को बड़ी खूबसूरती से उकेरा है । 'आग और पानी' में बनारस के जीवन के विरोधाभासों को, जैसे कि भौतिकता और आध्यात्मिकता, संघर्ष और समर्पण, और आधुनिकता और परंपरा, के बीच के संतुलन को बेहद सूक्ष्मता और खूबसूरती से पेश किया है। यह किताब बनारस की गलियों, लोकगायकों का शिल्प, गंगा-जमुनी तहज़ीब और आम जनजीवन से प्रेरित हैं। यदि आप बनारस को जानना और महसूस करना चाहते हैं, तो ये किताब जरूर पढ़ें।

5. ग़ाज़ीपुर में क्रिस्टोफर कॉडवेल – उर्मिलेश

उर्मिलेश, एक प्रसिद्ध पत्रकार, लेखक, और सामाजिक-राजनीतिक विश्लेषक हैं, जो हिंदी पत्रकारिता के क्षेत्र में अपने महत्वपूर्ण योगदान के लिए जाने जाते हैं। "ग़ाज़ीपुर में क्रिस्टोफ़र कॉडवेल " एक महत्वपूर्ण कृति है, जो उनकी जीवन यात्रा और पत्रकारिता के अनुभवों को संजोए हुए है। उर्मिलेश की लेखनी में पूर्वांचल और बिहार के सामाजिक परिवेश और राजनीतिक मुद्दों की गहरी समझ परिलक्षित होती है। उर्मिलेश के लेखन का एक प्रमुख पहलू यह भी है कि वे पूरे उत्तर भारत में मार्क्सवाद और जेएनयू में प्रशासनिक उपेक्षा पर खुलकर बात करते हैं।

6. लपूझन्ना - अशोक पांडे 

लपूझन्ना अशोक पांडे का एक जीवन के बदलाव का दौर को पेश करने वाला उपन्यास है जो बचपन की यादों को वापस लाता है और उपनगरीकरण, सामाजिक पदानुक्रम और मानवीय भावनाओं की जटिलताओं की गहराई में जाता है। लेखक अपनी किशोरावस्था के स्थानीय जीवन का एक अंश उत्तराखंड के रामनगर शहर के दृष्टिकोण से प्रस्तुत करता है और इसे "चार धाम" (हिंदू धर्म के चार पवित्र तीर्थ स्थान) से तुलना करता है। "रामनगर के चार धाम सुन लो सूतरो! इस तरफ को खतारी और उस तरफ को लखुवा। तीसरा धाम हैगा भवानिगंज और सबसे बड़ा धाम हैगा कोसी डैम।" लेखक ने अपने छोटे शहर के किरदारों—किशोरों से लेकर युवाओं तक, जिनके साथ वयस्क सहायक पात्र हैं—की भावनात्मक तस्वीर खूबसूरती से उकेरी है। उनकी आंतरिक द्वंद्व, प्रेम, आकांक्षाएं और असफलताएं बिना किसी छिपावट के प्रस्तुत की गई हैं। कहानी की लेखन शैली सरल और प्रबल है, जो इसे एक समृद्ध सांस्कृतिक अनुभव बनाती है। यह पुस्तक किशोरावस्था की सभी विशेषताओं को कड़वे-मैठे अनुभवों —उत्साह, मित्रता के बंधन, दिल टूटने, पहचान की खोज, स्कूल के अनुभव, सिनेमा संस्कृति, पारिवारिक रिश्ते, सपने, विद्रोह और गलतियाँ को बयान करती  करती है। 

The Atrocious Eighties (PFC Archive)

Note: The following post is taken from the archives of PassionForCinema.com, a much-loved platform for cinema enthusiasts. It is being republished here in the spirit of archiving, historical significance, and sharing important conversations for readers who may not have had access to the original site. The author is Yousuf H, publishing the post on April 28, 2010, at 12:29 pm. My comment on the post in 2010.

You kids of the new millennium have it easy, you drive down to the nearest multiplex and you have a choice of films from Anurag Kashyap, Dibakar Bannerjee, Vishal Bharadawaj, Raju Hirani, and Imtiyaz Ali to choose from. Do you know what kind of choice oldies like me had when we were growing up in the eighties,…. well we had to make our pick from B Subhash, Shibbu Mitra, T Rama Rao and Ravi Nagaich. What? You don’t know who these gentlemen are? Well kids, these are the minds behind some of the most atrocious but successful cinema of the eighties. Writing, acting, music, lyrics, pretty much every department was devoid of any class in the eighties, rightfully these are referred as the dark ages of Bollywood. As I recall here’s what happened.

For a good part of the nineteen seventies Bollywood did not break any new ground and rested on the laurels earned by the top talent of the fifties and sixties. There was no competition from television or videos, a select few Hollywood films were released across metros, usually months after they were out in the US. Movie subjects were formulaic and if one stuck to the patterns of lost & found / Amir Gharib / Saas Bahu or hired Saleem Javed, they were pretty much guarantied of a hit. Life was good!  The decade to follow was to change the entertainment paradigm and Bollywood dawdled before reacting to the changing times.

THE PERFECT STORM

Eighties started with the death of Mohammed Rafi and Sahir Ludhyanvi, Sanjeev Kumar soon followed, and this blew away a good chunk out of India’s talent pool. In the new generation there were fewer people who cared of nuanced Urdu dialogue, or raga based songs and Ghazals. Therefore OP Nayyar,  Shanker (of SJ duo), and Nushad though alive were out of work. There was no appetite for any kind of Talat Mehmod or Hemant Kumar period. For unknown reasons Saleem Javed split. Javed found work as solo writer, and also ventured into writing lyrics, while Saleem starved.  Abrar Alawi and Akhtar ul Iman the backbones of Waqt and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, were writing dialogues for films like Chor Police and Biwi o Biwi, for food.

To add fuel to the fire, the VCR and cable movies came to India. Unless there was compelling reason people preferred watching films at home in their Pajamas. Out of the blue Bollywood was seeing competition from some formidable quarters,on video not only did people have the access to foreign films, they also had access to Bollywood’s glorious past.

RACE DOWNHILL

The production houses that brought us memorable cinema in the sixties and seventies were producing recycled junk. Eighties was the decade when the directors whose film formulas came with a success guarantees were in for a rude awakening and they took years to realize that they could not hang their hats to repetitiveness. Notice Manmohan Desai’s decline. He started the decade with Coolie, later came Mard, then Ganaga Jamna Saraswati, and then jumped off the building to his death. Nasir Hussain continued to offer musicals with no back bone (Zamane Ko Dikhna Hai, Zabardast), audience responded “enough is enough”. The saddest of the stories was that of Ramesh Sippy’s, the man living under the curse of Sholay. The star ensembles of Shaan and Shakti made them  watchable, but Saagar was a mistake. Dreadful Bhrashtachaar was a nail in the man’s coffin. Looking at Namak Halal and Sharabi one thought that Prakash Mehra is the one with the staying power, with Jaadugar he reassured everyone that, no  he has lost it too. Manoj Kumar turned manic and so did his films (Clerk, Kalyug Ki Ramayan). Kamal Amrohi lost all of his respect when he returned to Bollywood  a decade after Pakizah, with his offering Razia Sultan. If there was a gold standard for a flop then this would be it.

After a spate of flops Raj Khosla drank himself to death. Shakti Samantha told some more stale stories.  Never learning from his failures Dev Anand continued with his sub standard productions (Lootmaar, Hum Nuajawan, Sachche Ka Bol Bala) – -  if Dev Anand the actor was Gregory Peck of India, Dev Anand the director became India’s Ed Wood.  The best that Vijay Anand could do with highly saleable Amitabh and Dharmendra together was Raam Balraam. It would not be incorrect to say that the career graph of our directors goes south with age, unfortunately we could not produce a Clint Eastwood, Sidney Lumet, Ridley Scott or Robert Altman who churned out classics well into their seventies.

RISK TAKERS

BR Chopra took some risks with the scripts and he got a kiss from the lady luck in return. His Hindi remake of a Hollywood B film Lipstick, paid off dearly. Insaf Ka Tarazu launched Raj Babbar’s career and was one of Zeenath’s last hit films. The blockbuster Nikah followed. Nikaah was BRs attempt to influence muslims into some soul searching over their divorce laws. (Needless to say that he was reaching for the stars).  Singer /actor Salma Agha was being touted , prematurely, as the Surrayya of the 80s. She was unceremoniously discarded by everyone after a few flops that followed Nikah. BR returned with another hit Aaj Ki Awaz, a remake of Charles Bronson’s Death Wish . Yash Chopra did his share of risk taking. He set his story far away from Switzerland, in the slums of Mumbai with Mashaal. Though commercially a failure, it made Anil Kapoor a star and got Dilip Kumar to give one of the finest performances of his career. However his attempts to put lipstick on a pig with Faasle & Vijay, fell flat.

THE SOUTHERN OFFENSIVE

Blaring background score, hero and heroine matching dance steps like they are in a parade, action shot at twice the normal camera speeds and long drawn repetitive monologues, these are some of the trademarks of Telegu films.  We Telegus are not subtle people and neither do we like our films subtle. Be it color, dance, melodrama or glycerin, we want to “super size” it.  In the midst of dropping profits and flops galore, remakes of Telegu films gained most of the ground lost by big banners. Probably hungry for “Kuch Hatke” audiences lapped these films up. Themes were invariable the same, protagonist fights the corrupt oligarchy, or is avenging the killing of his family, songs take place inside heroine’s head (excuse for over the top sets and extras), innuendos were passed as comedy and were usually forced into narrative. Though there was no gross nudity in these films, the dialogue was highly suggestive and the movie was never complete without some show of anatomy under a ludicrous premise. Plainly put,  Telegu cinema in the eighties never rose above rape, revenge and cleavage. Gifted directors like K Vishwanath were not as prolific in Hindi, the ones who made the most hay were Daasari Narayan Rao,  Raghvendra Rao, D Ramanaidu, Bapu, K Bappaiyya, T Rama Rao. Jeetendra was a staple actor in these films, but the success rate of the Telegu remakes attracted Dilip Kumar ( Kanoon Apna Apna, Dharam Adhikari) and Amitabh (Inquilab, Andha Kanoon) among many others. Utter lack of class in films disillusioned the moviegoers, many among them  turned to  renting westerns and stopped going to the movies altogether. For now the aesthetics were convinced that Bollywood of Bimal Rai and Guru Dutt may not return for a while.

MEDIOCRITY SOARS

It is said that when the world is devoid of able leaders, people will follow anyone with a mega phone. B Subhash, Ravikant Nagaich, Shibbu Mitra, Kawal Sharma, etc were an example of that. You got to give it them ! they were in possession of the secret success formula that stalwarts were in search of.  Suraksha, Disco Dancer, Ilzaaam, Aag hi Aag, Jeete Hain Shaan Se, Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki, and the list goes on and on, critics lambasted them, aesthetics abhorred them, but Aam Junta couldn’t get enough of them. They introduced Govinda and Mithun became a poor man’s Amitabh through these films.  Bhappi Lahiri became the busiest composer of the eighties composing for these films. With cheaper technicians, low paying actors, very low production values, these films probably had a historical return on investment. But quality that low had to be short lived and it was.

NEWSMAKERS

A graduate of FTTI who had some success with Shatrughan Sinha starers Kalicharan and Vishwanath in the seventies emerged into the spot light with a bang at the beginning of the decade with Karz, Vidhata and Hero. To the popular song and dance format Subhash Ghai added superior camera techniques, innovative lighting, and elegant song picturization and was able to extract some of the best compositions from Laxmi Pyare. If there was one Badshah of Bollywood in the eighties, it was Ghai.

Shekhar Kapoor and Rahul Rawail entered the industry with a promise and were fortunate enough to get some strong scripts from Javed Akhter so early in their careers. Their superior filming techniques was icing on the cake to Akhter’s scripts which resulted in some superior products such as Arjun, Betab, and Mr India. However in the nineties one would learn that these were just “flashes in pan”. Shekhar Kapoor, though highly gifted director, developed a commitment problem, and Rahul simply did not have much to give if Javed wasn’t around. N Chandra was another such example. He updated Gulzar’s Mere Apne with low budget Ankush which became a cult classic of sorts. With his films Nana Patekar and writer Kamlesh Pandey’s careers found traction who were later to become highly bankable artists. After seeing a series of duds from Chandra for the last two decades audience is still waiting to see if he can repeat the success of Tezaab. Rakesh Roshan who struggled to make a place for himself among Khannas and Kapoors as an actor in the seventies, tried film direction and learnt that he can do a good job of it. His masala brand of cinema would later fetch some good returns during an industry wide economic down turn.

Mahesh Bhatt a B movie director of the seventies ( Naya Daur, Lahu Ke Do Rang) returned after a stint at Rajneesh’s Ashram in Oregon. Probably as catharsis to his troubled past, he made several biographical films and harnessed intense performances from Sajay Dutt (Kabza, Naam), Kumar Gaurav (Janam), Anil Kapoor (Thikana) and Shabana Azmi (Arth). Often lifting the scripts ideas from the west, and making films on a shoestring budgets, Bhatts made a business model that is still in business.

There are many layers to a women’s personality they say, and Raj Kapoor saw these as layers of clothing. Every time he ventured into a woman oriented film he removed a few layers. Raam Teri Ganga Maili was one such exercise, it was a story of an oppressed women, ironically it was difficult to fathom who was being oppressed here, Ganga the character or Mandakini the acctress.

BIGGEST BANG FOR THE BUCK

Bachchan brought the biggest bang for the buck, still. He had survived the competition from Shatru, Khannas, Dharmendra and Kapoors in the seventies, he did it  again with Kamal Hasan, Jackie, Anil, Sunny and Sanjay Dutt in the eighties. Though the media did write him off every time each of them arrived on the scene with their hit. His light hearted comedies Yarana, Do Aur Do Paanch, Mr. Natwarlal with Rakesh Kumar and Namak Halal with Mehra and Satte pe Satta with Sippys are still considered as yard sticks of clean family fun. However he could not save Toofan and Jaadugar- - they arrived within weeks of each other and were out rightly rejected by the audience. For the first time since Zanjeer, his films did not recover the cost. Though he did not become another “Rajesh Khanna”, he would never return to larger than life status that he once enjoyed.

Dilip Kumar, who was pretty much living on his savings during the seventies, got employed again. However he was afflicted with the same malady as every other Indian superstar, — he did not want any risks with his film scripts and virtually played the same character in Mashaal, Vidhata and Duniya through the eighties.

THOSE TWO FLOWERS RETIRE

Before the 80s when  passions between the couples grew, they would express that by coming close, angle their heads and then the scene would cut to stock footage of two flowers dodging against each other. Audience needed no explanation that the two lovers are enwrapped in a kiss. Well in the 80s those two flowers retired.  The flower symbolism stopped after Betaab in 1982, and if the actors were willing, every director squeezed a smooch or two into their films thus pulling a few more hundreds to the movies.

PARALLEL BUT AHEAD

While the dry spell in the commercial cinema continued the popularity of the parallel cinema soared. Financed by NFDC, talented directors found a way to make meaningful films with less. Shaam Babu, Muzaffer Ali, Sayeed Akhtar Mirza, Sai Pranjpe, Ketan Mehta and Govind Nihalani, made films that impressed the urban circuits, and got some good returns. ( Many of their films still live on YouTube). Om Puri immortalized the Anant Vilanker character from Ardh Satya. Kundan Shah’s  black comedy Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, part satirical, part realistic, became an instant classic. Vinod Chopra, Sudhir Mishra, Satish Shah, Satish Kaushik, Pankaj Kapur, Binod Pradhan(Cinematographer) who assembled in this film would later have very successful independent careers.

Real talent is timeless and Gulzar is a perfect example of that. Never since his introduction in Bandini did he loose his standing as a writer and eighties were no exception. From Mora Gora Ang Lai Le to Dil to Bachcha Hai Ji, no one could get Gulzar to stoop to any market pressure.

COUNTER OFFENSIVE

Things turned around in the year 1988-89, a pivotal year for quality cinema in my mind. A drop out of IIT Powai Mansoor Khan overhauled dad Nasir Hussain’s production house, changed all technicians and came forth with QSQT. Amir Khan was born. Raj Kumar Santoshi who earlier had assisted Govind Nihlani, came up with hard hitting Ghayal, which helped Sunny rediscover himself. Near bankrupt Rajashri Production got a new boost with Maine Pyaar Kiya and brought families back to the cinemas. Ram Gopal Varma proved that an Indian film could be made without melodrama and emerged as a phenomenon with Shiva. Yash Chopra proved that he has not completely lost his touch; Chandni was loved by one and all. Vinod Chopra, who had earlier showed some promise with Khamosh, partnered with stars this time and created Parinda.

A streak of brilliance was emerging from Chennai, after a very long time international quality was being seen in films by Maniratnam. After getting national and international attention with Nayakan, he followed up with Angni Nakhshatram and Geetanjali and the rest as they say is history. Sangeetham Srinivas Rao broke new ground with silent movie Pushpak and Apporva Sadogral.

Today many new breed of directors thank the cinema of the eighties because if it did not hit that ebb then they would not have turned to the world cinema which shaped their skills. In relative terms, if mediocrity is down in Bollywood today, it is because the quality film makers waged a war against it and won! Despite the temptation to make films that were popular they chose to raise the bar which later brought down the empire of mediocrity. In many respects the growth that Bollywood has seen in the past decade is irreversible, the audience has evolved along with films, and hopefully never again will the “atrocious eighties” find acceptance among us.

Cinema in Transition: Marketing Myopia, Technology, and the Shifting Cultural Core

The term Marketing Myopia was coined by Theodore Levitt in his seminal 1960 Harvard Business Review article. It refers to the short-sightedness and inward-looking approach of companies focusing on their products rather than the needs and wants of their customers.

The case of American railroads is a classic example of marketing myopia, where companies focus narrowly on their products rather than the broader needs they serve. Railroads saw themselves in the railroad business instead of the transportation business, ignoring the rise of cars, trucks, and airplanes that better met customer needs for convenience and flexibility. As a result, they failed to adapt and lost market share. This same short-sightedness affected Kodak, which clung to film even as digital photography emerged, and Blockbuster, which stuck to physical rentals while streaming services like Netflix redefined home entertainment. These examples highlight how companies that define themselves by their product rather than the value they provide risk becoming irrelevant.

1^st wave of transformation

In 1990s India, single-screen theatres were still the primary venues for film viewing, but they stood at the crossroads of transition just as India was liberalizing and audience tastes were shifting. Post the 1991 liberalization, India saw a media boom, with cable television entering middle-class homes through networks like Star TV, Zee TV, Sony, and DD Metro. This gave rise to 24/7 entertainment—daily soaps, music videos, international movies, cricket, and later, Bollywood movie premieres—at home and at no additional cost beyond the monthly cable fee. Audiences flocked to colorful, dynamic private channels offering soaps, movies, and music, reducing DD viewership. This exposed Doordarshan’s inability to pivot quickly in a rapidly changing entertainment economy.

The 1990s piracy boom dealt a critical blow to single-screen theatres, disrupting their economic model. With the spread of VCRs (Video Cassette Recorders) and video parlours, pirated VHS tapes of new films became widely available, often within days of theatrical release. By the mid-1990s, CDs and VCDs replaced VHS, further lowering cost and increasing piracy’s reach. Pirated content was cheap (₹10–₹30 per CD), easily accessible through street vendors, and didn’t require audiences to visit a theatre.

The late 1990s saw spiraling budgets and digital projection becoming essential. Multiplexes could recoup by charging premium ticket prices (₹500–700 versus ₹30–40 on single-screens). Rising costs meant fewer producers made films suited to single screens; distributors also avoided them due to poor economics and additional digital screening fees

2^nd wave of transformation

The recognition of film as an industry by the NDA government in 2001, under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, marked a turning point in the Indian cinema landscape. This moves formalized Bollywood and regional cinema as a legitimate sector of the economy, opening the gates for corporate investment, institutional financing, and structured business practices.

Media and entertainment arms of companies like Reliance, UTV (later acquired by Disney), Viacom18, and Balaji Telefilms began producing and distributing films. Inspired by Hollywood, corporate culture was adapted in Bollywood. Corporatization encouraged an export-oriented approach, tapping into NRI and overseas markets with subtitled and dubbed versions.

There was rise of multiplex chains like PVR and INOX during early 2000s. Policy changes—such as tax incentives, 100% FDI in exhibition, and entertainment tax waivers—favoured multiplex investment and expansion due to economic liberalization policies of the government. There was emergence of urban, low- to mid-budget, niche films that catered to a young, English-speaking, multiplex-going audience. Films like Jhankaar Beats and Joggers’ Park were products of the multiplex revolution, which enabled a new kind of Indian cinema—urban, experimental, dialogue-heavy,and targeted.  

Traditionally, films were distributed using bulky physical reels, which were expensive to transport and delayed releases in smaller towns. With the advent of digital cinema technologies like UFO Moviez and Qube, films could now be delivered instantly via satellite or hard drives, enabling simultaneous pan-India releases and faster revenue recovery for producers. While multiplexes quickly adapted to this model with multiple screens and upgraded digital infrastructure, most single-screen theatres could not afford the necessary technological upgrades. This shift in audience taste hastened the decline of single-screen theaters, which could no longer compete on experience, cost, or content viability.

Yet, PVR and INOX found themselves squeezed between rising operational costs and shifting consumer attention, highlighting how entertainment consumption evolved faster than the cinema exhibition business could adapt. Multiplexes promise to support smaller-budget content alongside mainstream blockbusters—but the reality diverged significantly. Since multiplexes were investing heavily in premium infrastructure—multiple screens, luxury seating, parking, food courts, and digital projection—all of which required high ticket prices and limiting their focus among urban, middle-class viewers.

There was parallel exponential growth of television entertainment in the 2000s, driven by daily soaps, reality shows, and movie premieres on satellite channels, offered families a convenient and cost-free alternative to cinemas. The boom of D2H happened in the mid-2000s to early 2010s, as it transformed television access in both urban and rural India. This trend deepened with the advent of IPL in 2008, which combined cricket with celebrity culture and prime-time entertainment. IPL became a cultural phenomenon, drawing massive viewership away from theatres during its season—leading to a noticeable dip in footfalls at multiplexes. Multiplexes did initially open space for art and parallel cinema, in line with their stated goals—but over time, urban market preferences, financial incentives, and rising production and exhibition costs shifted their focus toward mainstream, premium content.PVR and INOX largely have defined themselves as cinema experience providers, focusing on the premium in-theatre model. Their initial premium model, once a strength, became a vulnerability in a fragmented media landscape. PVR now depends on big hit movies to earn good profits, as smaller films don’t bring in enough money. To reduce losses, PVR is selling off parts of the business that aren’t essential, closing theaters that aren’t doing well, and trying to lower rent costs. While PVR makes money from tickets, food, ads, and events, it only works if people actually come to the theaters — and that’s happening less and less.

3^rd wave of transformation

In the early 2000s, as internet speeds improved, audiences wanted instant, affordable access to music, movies, and TV shows. However, legal distribution channels were slow, expensive, or unavailable in many regions. This gave rise to peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing platforms like LimeWire, and BitTorrent, which enabled users to download and share media globally. Sites like Torrentz, KickassTorrents, and 1337x became gateways to Bollywood, Hollywood, and even TV shows not aired in India. In engineering colleges and hostels, tools like DC++, LANShare, and Torrents over LAN enabled students to share movies, games, and TV shows without internet. As broadband spread post-2005 (thanks to BSNL, Airtel, etc.), Indians embraced BitTorrent clients like uTorrent and BitComet.

The 2010s saw a shift from downloading to streaming, with the emergence of platforms like YouTube, Netflix, and Hotstar. Legal streaming reduced piracy temporarily by offering affordable, on-demand access. Jio launched its 5G services (Jio True 5G) in October 2022, followed by Airtel 5G Plus. The networks lead to buffer-free streaming of HD and 4K content on mobile devices. Meanwhile, OTT platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and JioCinema recognized the shift in consumer behavior—demand for on-demand, affordable, and home-based entertainment. OTT Platforms like Netflix and Prime Video have also highlighted films giving visibility to world cinema & TV series that traditional Bollywood ignored. For instance, a global push behind shows like Nanette turned them into cultural events through sheer network effect. Netflix’s success is a clear example of how technology can drive both customer acquisition and content delivery backed by a strong risk-taking culture. One of its first major innovations was the Cinematch algorithm, a collaborative filtering system designed to predict whether a customer would enjoy a particular movie based on past viewing habits. To refine recommendations further, Netflix introduced the Queue Add Confirmation Layer (QUACL), which suggested similar titles when a user added a movie to their watchlist. This system also served as a testing ground for Netflix's initial machine learning experiments.

Film production and consumption

In contrast to the early 1990s, the Indian film industry today sees fewer independent producers, largely due to the escalation in film production budgets. In the 1990s, films were often made on modest budgets with manageable risks, allowing a wide range of individual producers to participate, including regional backers and small-scale financiers. However, with the corporatization of Bollywood, rising star fees, expensive marketing campaigns, and reliance on high-end technology, the cost of making and marketing a mainstream film has skyrocketed.

Bollywood has been influenced by various international film industries—whether it’s Hollywood, South Indian films or even Korean cinema in later stages popular themes, storylines, or even entire films. Bollywood and other parts of the Indian film industry often adapt popular themes, music, songs, storylines, or even entire films that is termed as plagiarism. In an age where information is so easily accessible, there’s more scrutiny, and audiences are quick to notice when films or music bear striking similarities to others. Hence, there is rise of sequels and franchises in Bollywood where originality is always overshadowed by marketability, film studios are increasingly choosing the "safe" route with part 1, 2, 3, and so on. But this trend does make it harder to see fresh, bold ideas on the big screen. Bollywood’s box office failures today are less about audience disinterest and more about the industry's inability to evolve with changing tastes, especially ignoring India’s linguistic, cultural, and literary diversity. As regional films (e.g., Kantara, KGF, RRR) thrive by staying rooted in local ethos with fresh narratives, Bollywood is being challenged to reinvent itself beyond the Mumbai-centric, star-driven template. Today’s mainstream Indian cinema, especially Bombay-centric filmmaking, is increasingly shaped by corporate interference. Films are often pre-sold based on star power, with legal and finance teams influencing scripts, leaving little room for creative risk or originality. End credits are crowded with corporate names unrelated to the storytelling.  

Historically, producers held the creative power in Indian cinema, but today, OTT platforms are increasingly dictating what kind of content gets made. Bollywood, after being stagnant for nearly a decade, has lost a large part of its audience—some have shifted to Hollywood and global content, while others now prefer masala-heavy South Indian films.

High ticket prices, inflated star fees, and weak storytelling have pushed viewers away from theatres. The rise of OTT coincided with a decline in the middle class’s disposable income, making on-demand, affordable streaming more appealing. Moreover, rising ticket prices, especially in multiplexes, have pushed audiences to wait for digital releases rather than spend ₹300–₹500 on an average theatrical experience

The high cost of tickets and food at multiplexes is not just about pricing—it reflects a deeper disconnect between theatre chains and film production houses and the changing entertainment habits of their audiences. By not making films for these smaller centres or not giving them films, film industry is driving audiences to OTT platforms. Corporates and studios prioritize profits and early returns, often by inflating ticket prices, even if it means losing the broader audience. The content audiences get at such high prices often doesn’t justify the cost, which further alienates viewers.

The statement “Films don’t fail,their budgets fail” underscores a crucial insight into the economics of modern filmmaking. There has been lot of commercial failure of films in Bollywood. This is often less about the quality of the content and more about misaligned expectations, overestimated revenues, or poor budgeting decisions. Meanwhile, rising ticket prices due to inflated film production and marketing budgets have created a growing disconnect with audiences—something clearly visible when theatres are packed on discount days like World Cinema Day. This proves that pricing, not just content, is a major barrier.

Conclusion

What started as an affordable and accessible alternative to cable TV and cinemas is now becoming expensive, with viewers often needing to subscribe to multiple platforms—such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+ Hotstar, Zee5, Sony Live, and JioCinema Premium—to access diverse content. As the subscription costs of OTT rose, content got fragmented, and paywalls increased, many users have reverted to pirated streaming sites and Telegram channels offering movies, series, and even live sports for free.The OTT fragmentation not only raises overall entertainment costs but also leads to confusion and frustration as content is scattered across services. Free or ad-supported access is shrinking, making quality content less accessible to budget-conscious or rural users, thereby deepening digital inequality. Moreover, the overload of options behind paywalls is causing content fatigue, while poor content discovery algorithms often push mainstream titles over niche or regional ones.

However, there’s growing concern that OTTs—especially international ones—are dumbing down content to gain subscribers and avoiding culturally rooted risks due to limited understanding of Indian diversity. Cinema should challenge us and spark dialogue, but today’s ecosystem often prioritizes reach over depth. Instead of offering easier access to our cinematic heritage, streaming has made it tougher than ever to find and watch classic Indian films in their original form. The future of OTT platforms is increasingly shifting toward paywalls across all content, moving away from the earlier "freemium" or ad-supported models. The battle continues, but until content becomes more inclusive and accessible, piracy will remain a parallel—and powerful—force in media consumption. The direction OTT takes will shape whether content remains a tool of democratization or becomes a commodity of privilege.

Marketing myopia teaches us that cinema stakeholders must see themselves not just as filmmakers, distributors, or exhibitors, but as part of the broader experience economy. Those who focus on customer preferences, accessibility, and evolving viewing behavior will survive this evolutionary tale. Those who cling to outdated models or prestige assumptions may become irrelevant—just like railways, Kodak, or Blockbuster in their industries.