New Year Resolution: Six Ways In Which Bollywood Should Change In 2023

Bollywood has garnered a lot of controversy in the last two years. From Sushant Singh Rajput’s death to the debate on nepotism to religious conflict in the movies- our glitzy tinsel town has been surrounded by criticism to date.

The recent and most hyped controversy is on Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone’s new song 'Besharam Rang'. It is being criticised for hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus. But in the new year 2023, can things for Bollywood change? Can Bollywood do anything to deal with or keep itself free of controversies? Here are a few things that Bollywood can change

1. Get rid of problematic content

Bollywood is notorious for objectifying women, ">romanticising stalking, caste discrimination, colourism and hypersexualisation of actors. The recurrence of these tropes reduces Bollywood into a problem that we need to get rid of. It no longer remains an art that represents and transcends reality. Even if these tropes are used as means of entertainment, Bollywood would be responsible for spreading construed ideas of pleasure. It would be responsible for the social evils increasing day by day. So this year, dear filmmakers, stay wary of problematic content that poses a risk of deteriorating the condition of society even further. You should be conscious enough to know how certain picturisation might impact the minds of the audience. You should use films as a way to change social conditioning and not encourage it.

2. Give equal salaries to male and female actors

One of the major forms of gender discrimination in Bollywood is gender pay disparity. Famous actors like Deepika Padukone have opened up about being paid less than male actors for equal work. Padukone said, “I don’t think I’ll be able to live with the thought knowing that I have been a part of a film, had the same creative contribution or brought the same value to a film but being underpaid." Moreover, actor Taapsee Pannu said that women who demand more salary are rendered as ‘difficult’ but male actors who demand a hike are seen as successful. There are many more confessions of famous female actors of Bollywood that raise the curtain of gender discrimination within Bollywood. In 2023, please change this. Women actors have equal rights to get paid enough for their hard work. Just because they are women it doesn’t mean that they don’t deserve to be paid as much as their male counterparts.

3. Objectionable songs

Bollywood is notorious for firing objectionable lyrics from the shoulders of good music. For example, the song ‘Na Goriya’ by Hardy Sandhu gained a lot of popularity for its catchy beat. However, the lyrics of the song were completely objectionable. It portrayed women as gold diggers and slammed them for rejecting a man’s proposal. There are still more examples of such sexist songs that get traction because of their catchy music. But by adding catchy music, you cannot hide the sexism lurking in the pens of the lyricists. The sexism pours through the song and takes the form of catchy lines that people sing on repeat. So don’t be under the misconception that sexism can easily be ignored by adding good music. This year, dear Bollywood, try to make good songs that have good music and unbiased lyrics. No, it is not a difficult task because it just requires you to change your mindset from normalising sexism to trying to erase it.

4. Giving fair representation to the LGBTQIA+ community

Another very important change that Bollywood needs is fair and equal representation of the LGBTQIA+ community. Usually, Bollywood uses heterosexual actors to portray the lives of gay characters. Or a male or a female character to portray the life of a transgender. This is despite the fact that the industry consists of LGBTQIA+ actors, although not in proportion to heterosexual actors. So dear Bollywood, it is appreciable that you are expanding your boundaries and trying to give representation to LGBTQIA+ and other marginalised communities. But it would be better if people from the marginalised community come forward to tell their stories.

5. Get rid of ageism

In Bollywood, male actors never age. They always remain young enough to play the lead roles in movies. While female actors age early and are quickly shifted to the roles of mothers or supporting characters in movies. But why this ageism? Why does Bollywood discriminate between ageing male and female actors? For example, Akshay Kumar with his salt and pepper look still manages to grab lead roles in movies while Raveena Tandon, Seema Biswas and Madhuri Dixit and likes get the roles of mothers on the screen. From this year onwards, Bollywood should stop discriminating between the grey beards and grey hair of male and female actors. Ageing is a sign of being human and not a reason to discriminate between genders. It is okay to show off wrinkles and grey hair for actors of gender. Casting someone in the lead should depend on an actor’s capabilities and not on their looks or age.

6. Don't give in to destructive criticism

Lastly, Bollywood needs to stop giving in to negative criticisms and avoid making films on social issues. Just because the censor board or a chunk of the audience fails to understand the aim of a social issue-driven movie, it doesn't mean filmmakers stop making such movies. Criticisms, especially hate speech, will always follow no matter how good and important a movie is. It is significant for Bollywood to not give in to criticisms and make films mere products of autocracy in society. Making films is an art and art has the freedom to represent anything and everything from different perspectives. Remember this and keep making movies that enlighten people and add value to society. Take risks and stop playing safe.

Views expressed are the author's own.

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