The main negatives (bads) of Bollywood, as discussed on Reddit, include:
- Lack of originality with many movies being remakes, rereleases, or influenced heavily by Western styles rather than fresh, creative storytelling. This leads to Bollywood losing its original charm and cultural connection.
- Widespread nepotism that favors privileged insiders over genuinely talented outsiders, reducing diversity and fresh talent in acting and filmmaking. This creates gatekeeping and mediocrity being celebrated.
- Overemphasis on star power and box office returns rather than quality content and storytelling. Films often rely heavily on popular actors for commercial success, regardless of story or craft.
- Toxic environment within the industry hindering creativity, exacerbated by PR battles, favoritism, and a focus on superficial appearance and star gossip instead of artistic merit.
- Declining technical quality, including underpaid and rushed VFX work, poor casting choices, and cliché-heavy scripts or dialogue.
- Overuse of formulaic genres like action masala films and a lack of diversity in film types, leaving audiences craving more innovative genres.
- Critical and viewer fatigue due to dominance of nepotistic actors, repetitive themes, and mediocre performances hard to connect with.
- The influence of censorship and corporate profit motives limiting creative risks, resulting in formulaic, uninspired content.
Overall, Reddit discussions on Bollywood's drawbacks highlight a combination of structural issues (nepotism, corporate control), creative stagnation (lack of originality and diversity), and a toxic industry culture undermining the art and craft of filmmaking.
