With the success of films such as Pathaan, Gadar 2, Tiger 3, Jawan and now, Animal, Bollywood seems to have found its footing at the box office after the pandemic. It’s also interesting to note that the majority of these films are high on action, which the audience has embraced as pointed out by filmmaker Karan Johar, who spoke at the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) Annual Convention and 96th Annual General Meeting in Delhi.

He adds, “The recent success of various movies in last few years has broken the Indian cinema myth that we are a nation which [only] makes love stories. By the year 2025, India will be seen in [the] same league as the UK and USA in filmmaking. With internal crossover in Indian cinema from the South [film industry] to Hindi, international buyers [are] looking at buying Indian films.”

Referring to the constant north versus south debate, Johar, who is the presenter for the Hindi version of the pan-India Baahubali franchise, says, “After the success of Baahubali: The Beginning (2015) and RRR (2022), the divide between Hindi and the South is over. It is time to celebrate the success and power of Indian cinema.”

Lauding the advent of OTT that has helped Indian films reach a wider audience, the 51-year-old says, “There are stories... from [different] parts of India that are beautiful and should be viewed by audiences. The world needs to wake up to Indian stories and storytelling.”