3 Things That Can Make a Movie Super Hit
Cinema has always been an essential part of society. Often referred to as the mirror of society, movies have successfully brought changes to society over the past centuries. What began as a silent revolution has evolved into a full-fledged industry now, making billions in revenue. This is not just the case for India but for other countries of the world as well. Some movies make crores at the box office in spite of the content being average, while some movies have unique storytelling that is critically acclaimed. So, here are a few things that, if kept in mind, can help you make a hit movie, as told by none other than one of Bollywood’s young star, Sanjana Sanghi.
1. Connect with the audience
Director, producer, and actors make a movie for the audience. The audience is going to watch your movie, rate it, talk about it, and make it popular. So, you have to understand what the audience wants. And make something that the audience will connect to and be able to relate to. ‘Dear Zindagi’, for example, was a movie that was made on the much-stigmatized issue of mental health. Most people, especially the younger generation, could connect to it, and it was a stellar hit. On the other hand, ‘Pathaan’ is a movie that one cannot essentially connect to, but there was the charm of the superstars — Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone. The ability to connect with your audience on an emotional or relatable level can significantly contribute to the success of any creative endeavor. It’s all about striking the right balance between artistic expression and audience engagement.
2. The advent of OTT
OTT (over-the-top) platforms have been both a blessing and bane for the movie industry. Because of OTT, we have been introduced to some prolific actors such as Rashika Dugal, Jaideep Ahlawat, and Mithila Palkar, to name a few. During the Pandemic, OTT helped us by letting us watch both old and new content. Many films might have gone unnoticed or struggled during that time if not for the presence of OTT platforms. Think about movies like ‘Jalsa’, ‘Darlings’, and ‘Gehraiyaan’ — all remarkable films that reached the right audience because of OTT. But there’s a downside to this as well. Most people often do not want to go to the theaters because they know that, eventually, the movies will be released on various platforms. So now, just making a movie is not enough; you have to make it so appealing and build hype that the audience has to go to the theaters for that one.
3. Good acting and the power of storytelling
I think nothing can beat the power of storytelling. If you see the trend, the audience these days does not want overly dramatic movies with cliched happy endings, a kind that was very much prevalent in the ’80s and ’90s. They want to see a good story, good characters, and maybe a hidden message in the film. Stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan still have the ability to deliver a hit movie because they are in that movie. But not for long. People are willing to spend money to go to theaters and subscribe to OTT platforms, but you, as a director or producer, or script-writer, have to make it worth their time and money.
Every actor can be made into character actors if the directors do their work properly. For instance, think of Varun Dhawan in ‘October’. Prior to that, Varun Dhawan was known as a commercial movie hero. But October changed that perspective. Alia Bhatt debuted in a dream role in the movie ‘Student of The Year, in a glam dolled-up role. And the second movie of hers was ‘Highway’, which proved her mettle as an actor.
The recipe for blockbuster movies is so simple — good storytelling, cinematography, some aesthetic shots, and expressing a lot by showing very little. Even in the era of social media, word-of-mouth plays a very important role in the success of a movie. For that to happen, you need to impress the audience effectively. As the cinematic landscape continues to evolve, filmmakers who master these essential elements stand a greater chance of creating movies that entertain and leave an indelible mark on audiences worldwide.
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