Freedom comes at a price, we know that. Perhaps that’s why this Independence Day, we are planning to get rid of certain clichés that are associated with Bollywood. The thriving industry, despite its Western aesthetics, is still pretty much dipped in age-old banalities. We have drummed up a list…read on:
The ‘hero’ is never easily defeated:
He could be dying or possibly already dead, but he wouldn’t be defeated. Most movies thrive on a larger-than-life persona of the hero, who can even come back from the dead to beat up baddies. It’s how it’s been for decades now. Even though many progressive flicks are thrashing this concept, majority of them tread this path. Phew. Time to move on, eh?
The heroine initially doesn’t warm up to the hero:
It’s 2016, guys! Women not only take the initiate, but also know what exactly they want from a relationship. Their ‘bholi-bhaali’ phase is so passe. But Bollywood flicks can’t get over the archaic hero-heroine dynamic where his advances are initially rejected. They eventually end up together, yes. But at the first meet, the heroine is too chaste to warm him to the hero’s glances. Sigh.
The ‘Maa’ angle:
If you’ve grown up on Bollywood, you’d know that our hero doesn’t take anybody seriously till his mother…err…maa tells him to. The setting and nuances might have changed over time, but the basic premise remains the same. Maa over everything else for our desi lads.
Bickering pairs come together at the end:
Strangely, the pair that bickers the most…ends up falling in love with each other at the end. This is such a predictable turn of events that you don’t even have to watch the whole flick to get the drift. Because of such plots, youngsters have a weird concept of love and relationships.
Bratty heroines turn into adarsh beti:
From sexy shorts to sundar sarees, heroines fall prey to popular culture and societal pressure where they switch from ultra-glam to adarsh beti once they meet and fall in love with the hero. Umm. This doesn’t even happen in real life, so why in movies?
Any cliches you want to get away from? Hit the comment box below to share your thoughts.
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