Actor Shah Rukh Khan’s brief act in Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva, actor Deepika Padukone’s appearance in a special song in Cirkus and actor Salman Khan’s dance act in actor Riteish Deshmukh’s directorial debut, Ved, were the most talked about cameos this year. We also saw actor Akshay Kumar’s surprise appearance in An Action Hero, actor Ranbir Kapoor’s cameo in Govinda Naam Mera, and actors Anushka Sharma and Aamir Khan’s cameos in Qala and Salaam Venky, respectively.

While short acts by big stars do become a talking point on social media, the big question is, do cameos really have a novelty factor anymore and do they add any value to films in terms of viewership? Recent numbers and fan reviews suggest that they don’t help most films these days.

Trade expert Atul Mohan says, “Cameos may not really help in pushing the box-office numbers. I don’t think fans throng theatres just to catch a glimpse of their favourite actor in a cameo appearance. Guest appearances by A-list actors can be a nice marketing tool that only helps a film before the release. Cameos were more meaningful in the ’80s or ’90s.”

Echoing a similar sentiment, trade expert Komal Natha adds, “No one buys a film ticket because of cameos. Thinking that a movie will work because of guest appearances is a misconception.”

While many agree that guest appearances get talked about on social media, most releases with big cameos this year failed to attract audiences or get cash registers ringing. For instance, fans loved Akshay’s scene with actor Ayushmann Khurrana in An Action Hero, but it didn’t translate into love for the film.

Director Anirudh Iyer, who helmed the movie, says, “One needs to be very thoughtful about cameos. A forced one might make the audience instantly disconnect from the film.”

Up next, there are reports of Salman making a cameo in Shah Rukh’s upcoming film, Pathaan. Also, Shah Rukh is rumoured to return the favour by doing a cameo in Salman’s Tiger 3. While this may generate curiosity, experts feel that ultimately, a film’s fate is only decided by its content.

Casting director Gautam Kishanchandani shares, “If it is a well-told story, cameos are interesting. The narrative needs to be engrossing and the cameo works only if it is put in the film the right way. If the film is weak, kisi ko bhi le aao, kuch farq nahin padega.”