The Tollywood vs Bollywood debate has been reignited by producer S Naga Vamsi, who recently accused the Mumbai film industry of making movies only for the Bandra and Juhu segments in Mumbai. Since he made this utterance in the presence of senior Hindi film producer Boney Kapoor, the debate has taken off wildly. On social media, the clash is pronounced.
Hindi film fans are pointing at the success of Gadar 2, Stree 2, Pathaan, Munjya, Padmaavat, Singham, the Bhool Bhulaiya movies, War, and Dangal. They also argue that small films like Lapata Ladies and 12th Fail are greatly loved.
That said, the Hindi film industry's ability to innovate has waned. As per Bollywood filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, everything is quantified and measured in terms of returns. In a recent interview, he remarked that Bollywood can never bring out movies like Manjummel Boys (Malayalam). Praising Pushpa 2, he said that a film of that scale wouldn't be possible in Hindi cinema because filmmakers are not empowered there.
Who between the naysayers like Anurag Kashyap and votaries are correct? The truth must be lying somewhere in between. Probably, if ticket rates and foods & beverages were not "unaffordable" in national multiplex chains, Hindi cinema wouldn't have been in a bad condition. So, it's not about content per se. Anurag Kashyap doesn't invest, so he has no skin in the game. Producers would any day think in terms of returns. That's their bread and butter. If you can make a Manjummel Boys in Malayalam, you can make a Tumbadd in Hindi. Why novel southern films generate great returns and not novel Hindi films is the crux of the issue.
