The Indian film industry is the most prolific in the world
Bollywood: A Year of Deaths, Scandals and Pandemic
Indian cinema strives to regain its glory in the New Year.
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Abhishek Bachchan: “Watching a movie in a darkened hall is an irreplaceable experience.
We like to watch our movies on the big screen. ”
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Bollywood witnessed a black year in 2020 due to the scandals that rocked it and the death of a number of its stars, in addition to the circumstances of the "Covid-19" pandemic, but Indian cinema, whose dances and songs allow Indians to escape from their daily reality, seeks to regain its luster in the New Year.
The first thing this year faced by the Indian film industry, which is the most prolific in the world, was the tragic departure in April of two of its giants, stars Irfan Khan and Rishi Kapoor, and the two deaths occurred within 36 hours.
And the deaths followed with the absence of composer Wajid Khan at the age of 42 due to complications from the Corona virus, director Basu Chatterjee, the first Bollywood choreographer Saruj Khan, and singer SB Balasubramanian, who had 40,000 movie songs in his balance.
But the biggest uproar is the one caused by the suicide of actor Shushant Singh Rajput at the age of 34, especially after the arrest of his ex-girlfriend, actress Raya Shakraborty, who was accused of buying him drugs.
The media launched a campaign against the 28-year-old star, accusing her of resorting to cannabis and black magic to drive her ex-boyfriend to suicide.
In September, police questioned a number of stars, including superstar Deepika Padukone, before Ria Chakraborty was released on bail in October after a few months in detention.
This led to the formation of an image among some of the Bollywood sector that it lacks justice and equality, and is corrupt due to the spread of drug abuse.
Actress Swara Basker noted that "the smear campaign launched by some media against the film industry was horrific."
Dark halls
At the same time, the Corona virus has forced filmmakers to take a break from filming in Bollywood, the heart of the Indian film industry, or in any other strongholds of Indian cinema.
However, a large number of couriers, composers, and low-paid workers are usually present at the shooting locations.
Swara Basker said that the loss of their jobs and income "caused harm to many of them."
Despite the temporary resumption of production projects, restrictions adopted in the framework of combating "Covid-19" still prevent them from filming the music scenes that characterize Indian cinema.
In October, cinemas that had been closed for months reopened, but viewers who feared contracting the Coronavirus have not yet returned to the halls.
The producers preferred to suspend their films in theaters, and instead decided to show them on booming streaming platforms, as is the case with the police movie "Ludo", which was released on Netflix last month, and is represented by Abhishek Bachchan.
But the latter believed that the experience of watching a movie in the dark halls "cannot be replaced."
He said, "We like to go to the movies and watch our movies on the big screen, while we enjoy popcorn, samosas and cold drinks with friends and family."
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