Why Bollywood Is Losing Its Creative Spark — And How It Can Reignite

Bollywood, once the epicenter of creativity and colorful storytelling, is struggling in an unprecedented way. Even with its rich heritage, the Hindi film industry of today appears to be creatively drained, relying mostly on franchises, remakes, and IP-based content — and viewers are taking notice.

The origins of this issue aren’t Indian-specific. Worldwide, the entertainment business has moved towards a risk-averse approach. The emergence of streaming services, the demise of DVD revenues, and the increasing significance of foreign markets (particularly China) have altered the economics of movie-making. As actor Matt Damon once noted, movies used to enjoy a “second innings” through physical sales, frequently doubling their box office revenue. With that lost, studios are under huge pressure to make back their money in cinemas alone — and the best bet is brand recognition, sequels, and nostalgia-fueled ventures.

Hollywood’s top-grossing films in recent years are all evidence of this: think Top Gun: Maverick, Mission: Impossible, or the upcoming Tron reboot. While these films succeed when crafted with care and spectacle, they reveal a larger industry trend: originality is often sidelined in favor of guaranteed financial returns.

In India, however, the problem runs even deeper. Unlike in the West, where producers and studio heads call the shots, Bollywood still operates largely under the influence of its stars. Major actors like Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, and Hrithik Roshan dominate the creative direction of projects, often locking themselves into long chains of sequels — Housefull 5, Jolly LLB 3, Raid 2, Krrish 4, to name a few. Even actors like Kartik Aaryan, who once rode on fresh ideas, now chase franchise titles to stay commercially relevant.

Perhaps most worrying is the diminishing influence of creatives at the top. The days when directors like Yash Chopra or Yash Johar shaped studios with both artistic vision and commercial acumen are gone. Today, content heads are often corporate executives or marketing strategists, more fluent in data points than in storytelling. This shift has led to decisions increasingly driven by algorithms, audience testing, and streaming platform demands — sometimes even dictating casting, release dates, and story themes.

Telugu cinema offers an interesting contrast. While it too leans on franchises, the stars there are more willing to collaborate with visionary directors. Projects like Mahesh Babu’s upcoming film with SS Rajamouli or Allu Arjun’s rumored collaboration with Atlee point to a slightly healthier creative environment, where originality still has space to thrive.

There’s no doubt that Indian audiences are growing more discerning. They will embrace franchises — but only if they deliver genuine spectacle or fresh emotional hooks. Top Gun: Maverick worked not just because it was a sequel, but because it raised the bar for action and nostalgia alike. In Bollywood, the challenge is to apply the same rigor. When the industry simply slaps a familiar name onto a half-baked film (like the rebranded Kesari Chapter 2), audiences quickly tune out.

Still, there are pockets of innovation. The Maddock Films horror-comedy universe, the ambitious superhero projects of Prashanth Varma, and auteur-driven works by the likes of Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Sandeep Reddy Vanga prove that original voices can break through. The key is balancing franchise-building with creative intention, rather than pure cash-grabbing.

Looking ahead, the industry faces an inflection point. Will Bollywood continue down the path of safe bets and recycled content, or will it reclaim its place as a hub of bold, fresh storytelling? Audiences are hoping for the latter — but as every Arsenal fan would say, “it’s the hope that kills you.”