The impact of the pandemic on the cinema world has been well-documented. From empty cinema halls to an avalanche of content on streaming platforms, hours have been dedicated to how viewing patterns have changed over the years. The Indian film industry too was at a crossroads as community viewing – which forms an integral part of the subcontinent's cinema culture– was ceasing to be the audience's first choice. Industry stakeholders were seen revisiting their art and business models after 2020, but come 2023 and the magic of Indian films has proved to be a gift that keeps on giving. The year showed that not only does Indian cinema hold the power to have crowds thronging cinema halls but also win international accolades by staying true to its unique identity.
Here's a look at the many wins of Indian cinema in 2023.
- Box-Office Bonanzas
After a few quiet years, the Indian box office cash registers were left ringing round-the-clock in 2023. As many as five Indian films have crossed the Rs 650 crore mark at the box office. This includes Shah Rukh Khan's Jawan and Pathaan, Sunn
Regional cinema, which post-pandemic has had a better box-office run than Bollywood, had a great 2023 as well. Tamil cinema saw monstrous hits in the form of Leo and Jailer. Even the Malayalam film industry – known more for its nuanced and progressive storylines than box office earnings – saw its biggest-ever theatrical earner in the form of 2018 [Rs180.03 crore].
- Bollywood Resurrected
As mentioned above, Bollywood has had a long winter at the box office, with films across genres failing to bring fans to the cinemas. But in 2023 turned things around for the Hindi film industry, starting on a great note with SRK's Pathaan. The year was also marked by special sequels such as Gadar 2 and collaborations between Hindi and south Indian cinema talents. The return of big names to the big screen after a hiatus of sorts – Sunny Deol with Gadar 2, SRK in full-fledged roles after 2018 and Karan Johar in the director's seat for Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani after seven years– was met with a thunderous response.
The lines between Bollywood and the OTT space too further narrowed in 2023. While Kareena Kapoor made her OTT film debut in 2023, the likes of Kajol, Tamannaah Bhatia, Shahid Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha, and Aditya Roy Kapoor starred in long format shows to great success.
- International Nods – Oscar To Emmy
The year also saw Indian cinema winning big on the international award circuit. Telugu film RRR, directed by SS Rajamouli and headlined by Ram Charan and Junior NTR, became a global phenomenon. In addition to winning the Oscar for Best Original Song for the earworm Naatu Naatu, it also won a Golden Globe award in the Best Original Song category, the Best Foreign Language Film and Best Song (Naatu Naatu) awards at the 28th Critics Choice Awards, and Best Director award at New York Film Critics Circle Awards 2022. Here's the complete list of awards won by RRR globally, this year.
It was also a double whammy for India at the Oscars this year with The Elephant Whisperers, directed by Kartiki Gonsalves and produced by Guneet Monga, winning the Best Documentary Short Subject.
Notably, Shaunak Sen's documentary All That Breathes was also nominated in the Best Documentary Feature Film category at the Academy Awards. It won several top honours including the Grand Jury Prize – Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival, Golden Eye at the Cannes Film Festival and Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Documentary bestowed by the American Society of Cinematographers.
In September, Malayalam superstar Tovino Thomas became the first South Indian Actor to win the Best Actor Award at the Septimius Awards held in the Netherlands for his role in 2018.
Actors Vijay Varma [Prime Video's Dahaad] and Rajshri Deshpande [Netflix's Trial By Fire] bagged awards in the Best Acting category at the Asian Academy Creative Awards. Additionally, Prime Video's Modern Love Chennai won the award in the Best Single Drama category.
Actor and standup comedian Vir Das also made history by winning an award for his Netflix special Vir Das: Landing in the Comedy category at the 51st International Emmy Awards. While this was Vir Das' first International Emmy win, he was previously nominated in 2021 for Vir Das: For India. Additionally, Shefali Shah and Jim Sarbh were also nominated in the Best Performance by an Actress and Actor categories, respectively.
At the same awards, producer Ektaa Kapoor also received the International Emmy Directorate Award. Interestingly, from RRR to Vir Das: Landing, the projects that won big internationally were singularly Indian in their ethos, making the victories even more special.
Having concluded an exceptional year, it seems that the sky is the limit for Indian cinema in 2024 and beyond.