Bollywood Action Thriller "Baaghi 4" Falls Short at Box Office Compared to "The Conjuring: Last Rites", Critic Sanjay Gupta Responds as Hollywood Horror Dominates
In a series of posts on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, filmmaker Sanjay Gupta, known for directing 'Kaante', expressed his thoughts on the current state of the Indian box office. The director was surprised by the box office performance of Hollywood movie "The Conjuring Last Rites", which outperformed Tiger Shroff's Bollywood drama "Baaghi 4".
Gupta wrote that he couldn't have imagined an English film outperforming a Hindi film in his 20s or 30s, but today an English horror film does double the business of a mainstream Hindi action film. He also questioned what has changed in the Indian box office.
The success of "The Conjuring Last Rites" can be attributed to it being the fourth installment of a well-established franchise, promoted as a final chapter. On the other hand, "Baaghi 4" collected ₹ 12 crore on its opening day, while "The Conjuring Last Rites" earned ₹ 17.5 crore on its first day of release in India.
The comment sparked a conversation among netizens, with several suggesting that the superiority of Hollywood dramas lies in their storyline and execution. An X user commented that the level of Hindi films has significantly decreased, with producers focusing on unnecessary expenses such as actor fees, VFX, foreign locations, and public relations, while neglecting the payment to story writers for good scripts.
The user also stated that Hindi movies have lost their emotional quotient and their soul is missing. Another cybercitizen expressed that the main stream Hindi action films are not good enough compared to Hollywood films.
The authors of "The Conjuring: Last Rites" are Ian Goldberg, Richard Naing, and David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick; they are American writers associated with the U.S. film industry. The film was directed by Michael Chaves, also American.
A cybercitizen suggested that the promotional material for "Baaghi 4" might not have been appealing enough for a larger opening. The third commenter questioned how the "Baaghi" franchise has been able to continue for so long.
Despite the concerns raised, Gupta's posts received a steady flow of support, with netizens agreeing that there needs to be a shift in the focus of Bollywood producers. The conversation serves as a reminder of the importance of storytelling and execution in the success of a film, and the need for Bollywood to prioritise these aspects in order to compete with Hollywood.
