Although angry young men have always been a common theme in Indian films, this year’s exaggerated, idealized screen violence raised the stakes. Nearly most of the 2023 biggest hits in Hindi cinema and many in regional languages were violent and raging, with powerful male leads who displayed rippling muscles and blazing guns on screen as they proceeded on a bone-crunching rampage to defeat their enemies. The year saw the rebirth of the action genre unlike before. This shift in the cinematic landscape was led by action-heavy films such as Pathaan, Jawan, Jailer, Gadar 2, Leo, Animal, and Salaar, which stood out as some of the year’s biggest blockbusters.
Bollywood made an impressive recovery after a pandemic-driven slowdown. According to consultancy firm Ormax Media, the cumulative box office in 2023 pulled in $1.3 billion, making it one of the best-grossing years of all time. The combined box office collection of the four Hindi films (Pathaan, Jawan, Gadar 2, and Animal) is around Rs 3,400 crore, with Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan leading with a worldwide collection of Rs 1,160 crore.
Talking about this trend, trade expert Komal Natha says that isn’t something new. “Action films have been a staple diet in Bollywood. In the last few years, thanks to the development of multiplexes and corporate production houses, we saw a shift in storytelling from filmmakers. But post-pandemic people could watch rom-coms, comedies, and drama films at the convenience of their houses thanks to OTT. The sheer thrill of watching these action sequences on the big screen is what is drawing the audiences in large numbers in theatres.”
Natha adds that the trend is also linked to a societal desire for justice and a response to visible economic disparities. Films such as these offer a cathartic outlet for audiences, “Action films have never done this well in a year, in my experience. Four of the biggest blockbusters ever made in Hindi film history—Pathan, Jawan, Gadar 2, and Animal—have made history at the box office. There was once a myth that action movies didn’t do well in multiplexes, even though these locations account for a sizable portion of a movie’s earnings. A certain section operates on herd mentality. In the upcoming years, I anticipate seeing more action movies released.”
Another reason for the trend to be working so well appears to be greatly influenced by South Indian cinema, which has been putting out popular action movies that have captured the interest of viewers throughout the country. In recent years, action films from the south, such as RRR and KGF franchise, Pushpa: The Rise have redefined success at the box office and encouraged Bollywood to take a more enthusiastic approach to the genre.
With action films, the industry also saw a startling rise in the popularity of alpha males, which changed the narratives. From Ranbir Kapoor’s character in Animal which made all the wrong noises because of the misogynistic accent to the lead character played by Sunny Deol in Gadar-2 who was on a mission to save his son from the clutches of Pakistan and even the recently released Salaar featuring Prabhas in the lead, all these characters and films have been liked by the audiences.
Trade expert Atul Mohan says, “It has been proved that audiences are enjoying hyper-masculinity, from the presence of alpha male characters to the main leads being aggressive. A lot of action, blood, and larger than life — these are some things that people enjoyed seeing on the big screen.”
He adds, “There was a time when the boy next door stereotype was more popular, but big-screen action movies with larger-than-life protagonists were what the crowd wanted to see. Cinema has always been greater than life and always will be. We can call 2023 a resurgence of alpha males. The success of all these films has shown that audiences still like to watch such content.”
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