Why Is Romance In Indian Movies Overrated?

The debate as to why Indian movies give importance to romance has been going on for a long time. Is the onus on the filmmaker or the audience? Well, there are always two sets of people: one who would like to explore different aspects of the world; and the other who are just content with commercial potboilers. We know that people watch movies to be engaged or for a change. And these two things happen even at the comfort of their homes. They get to see all the essential elements to keep them glued to the television screen itself. Whether it be romance, vengeance, suspense, family sentiments, horror, dance, or music; you name it, and it is available on the television. Only romance is not available on the television in its full form. So when the audience goes to movie theaters, they get to see mostly romance. The difference is just that the romantic element is exaggerated in movies.

We cannot altogether blame the audience for preferring only romantic films. If the filmmaker has real taste for the art, he/she will try to achieve his/her vision without compromising on quality. Indeed, there are artists who are not much concerned about awards; they only want the audience’s appreciation. And when one or two filmmakers offer innovative and content-driven films, some viewers, who are keen on keeping track of what is happening in the film industry, embrace them. When films of genres other than romance are marketed properly, they do reach the audience. In fact, certain films whose focus was mainly on sports, horror and comedy have generated significant revenue at the box office. Here then, the blending of commercial elements like comedy and love track are just a deviation, which can be ignored, if felt by the audience. So care should be taken only to see that there are no cheap dialogues in the movie or any explicit, vulgar inneundos. The fate of a movie is after all in the hands of the audience. As they say, as the customer is king, so is the audience. And there will be criticism as far as creativity is concerned.