Bollywood and Global Entertainment in 2023: A Year of Hits, Losses, and Unexpected Twists

A

Animal

With so many movies to discuss in a year, Animal's highly divisive theme and structure made sure it was in the conversation for (almost) everyone. Many people found favor with director Sandeep Reddy Vanga's examination of broken filial ties through the prisms of toxic relationships, misogyny, and extreme violence, but many others found it extremely uncomfortable. With Animal hitting the jackpot at the box office, Ranbir Kapoor and the excellent background music composition are truly remarkable.

+Arijit Singh
Delivering hits ranging from Jhoome jo Pathaan to O bedardaya, Mera aasmaan jal gaya to Jai Shri Ram, and Leke Prabhu ka naam to Lutt putt gaya, the enchanted voice from Jiaganj continued to rule Bollywood.

Bernhard Steiner

Barbie and Oppenheimer's decision to burst into theaters on July 21 was the biggest film event of the year, decade, and century. This resulted in a global competition for screens and attention spans as well as the creation of the portmanteau "Barbenheimer," which swiftly gained notoriety.

+ Bolly's Bengali
Two of the year's biggest hits featured Chatterjees, or Bengalis, in the lead roles. While Rani Mukerji explored the psychology of a mother whose children are taken away from her in the overtly named Mrs. Chatterjee vs. Norway, in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, Alia Bhatt's Chatterjees clashed culturally with the Randhawas, played by Ranveer Singh as Rocky, before they were able to come to terms. We saw it all in these two films: Saraswati Puja to Rabindranath Tagore and Durga Puja to Dola re dola.

CChandler Bing

With the unexpected death of Matthew Perry, who brought the sardonically delicious Chandler Bing from Friends to life, the world lost a little bit of its childhood (and adulthood). We were all in mourning, particularly when we realized that we wouldn't be hearing the statement, "I'm not very good at giving advice." "May I pique your curiosity with a caustic remark?" the man asked never again.

DDeols

2023 was definitely the Deols' year. While Bobby's comeback continued with Animal, Sunny emerged victorious with Gadar 2, which was released 22 years after Gadar and dominated the box office for weeks. Then there was dad Dharmendra, who, at the age of 87, was adorable locking lips in that delightful role in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani.

Elephant Communicators

This year, India did very well at the Academy Awards. The Elephant Whisperers, a touching Netflix documentary about the relationship between an elderly tribal couple and an orphaned baby elephant, won director Kartiki Gonsalves and producer Guneet Monga an Oscar for Best Documentary Short Film, making it the first Indian film to win an Academy Award in that category. RRR also took home the prize for the popular Naatu naatu.

Dad and son

Shah Rukh Khan played Jawan's father and son, who had a more entertaining and paisa-vasool filial relationship on screen than Animal, which took an extreme approach to a problematic father-son equation. We also noticed the real-to-reel resonance when dad Vikram Rathore yelled, "Bete ko haath laga ne se pehle baap se baat kar."

GGulmohar

A touching film that examined the deteriorating relationships within a family while they move, Gulmohar felt incredibly real and intimate, especially thanks to the nuanced performances of Manoj Bajpayee and Sharmila Tagore.

Horror

Horror films saw a comeback in Hollywood, with possibly a record number of films in the genre. This year featured everything from psychological to slasher to surrealist comedy horror to found footage to post-apocalyptic to monster to sci-fi to zombie to Kaiju to body... and many of them left a lasting impression.

The International Emmy

On the International Emmy stage, Vir Das represented India with pride as he defeated formidable competitors to win the Golden Trophy for Best Comedy with his Netflix special Vir Das: Landing.

+ A Bollywood Star Over the past few years, Indian Idol had been reduced to more of a scripted drama than a talent show. However, Kumar Sanu, Shreya Ghoshal, and Vishal Dadlani, three judges who were focused and unflappable, helped Indian Idol regain its former glory.

J Ja, mal k udu

You can't avoid it—from wedding playlists to Instagram reels. The infectious beats of the Iranian folk song Jamal kudu, which went viral quickly and has everyone dancing to it this party season, glass on or off, made Bobby Deol's (very late) appearance in Animal all the more memorable.

K: Kohrra & Kaala Paani

The year belonged to Netflix, which produced two excellent Hindi originals, Kaala Paani and Kohrra, among many other things. The latter was an emotional social drama disguising itself as a police procedural, while the former was a perceptive examination of how human psychology shifts in the face of fear and chaos. Both were gripping to watch, and we are eagerly anticipating Season 2.

L: The Lady Killer debacle

A movie was quietly released in a few theaters in November before being pulled from theaters a few days later. After some research, we learned that The Ladykiller, a medium-budget movie starring Arjun Kapoor and Bhumi Pednekar, was released as an unfinished project that had failed for a number of reasons. The actors and all those connected to the movie disowned it, leaving it high and dry and a rare movie that most people in the audience had no idea existed.

M: Mona Singh

Mona Singh's versatility and talent have always been undeniable; in 2023, the actor supported a few winners, including Kaala Paani and Kafas, putting on braces and prosthetics for Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin long before anyone else in the room was even aware of it. Many will concur that Made in Heaven S2's best part was her Bulbul Jauhari.

N: One hundred and seventeen

Numerous movies, including Pippa, Mujib, and Sam Bahadur, were centered around the year 1971, specifically the Bangladesh War of Liberation, in which India was a major player.

O: Orrin

He is this year's breakout star; he is not even a movie star, but he has made a "career" out of just hanging out with them. With his pout, his catchphrases like "I live, so I am a liver," or his phone cases that mimic anything from a banana to a lobster, Orhan Awatramani, also known as "Orry," became an overnight sensation on the Internet and is now the talk of the town.

P: Previous Lives

Many people consider Celine Song's moving and impactful directing debut to be among the best movies of the year. In Past Lives, Song examines the relationship between two childhood friends who drifted apart and looks at both historical recollections and modern realities. This film, which is soulful and sublime, is distinguished by its quiet moments and nuanced movements.

Q: Give up

With the launch of her high-stakes web series Citadel, Priyanka Chopra Jonas went on a major campaign. That also made her respond to the most important query: why is she no longer featured in Bollywood movies? Speaking on Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard, PC revealed his shocking admission: "I was being pushed into a corner in the industry." For various reasons, I was passed over for roles. I was at odds with people. I had had enough of politics. I simply said to myself, "I need a break."

R: Vintage

In 2023, retro became even more prevalent on screen—especially on streaming platforms—than it had been in the previous few years. The gangster saga Bambai Meri Jaan, the teen drama The Archies, the real-life heroics against the backdrop of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy of 1984 in The Railway Men, the bizarre, unconventional '90s world of Guns & Gulaabs, and more followed Jubilee, which was set in the fledgling Hindi film industry of the '50s.

S: Bradley Cooper

There was only one Khan of the year. Making a triumphant return nearly five years following the disaster of Zero and having faced several personal challenges in the interim, Shah Rukh Khan blasted into theaters with Pathaan and turned it into a smash hit. A few months later, Jawan arrived with much anticipation, gained more popularity, and managed to start discussions. Dunki, directed by Rajkumar Hirani, was SRK's year-end film.

S: Watching a movie online

Manoj Bajpayee starred in the aptly named Sirf Ek Banda Kaafi Hai, which was about a lawyer who defends a client against a godman in a sexual assault case. The film was first released on over-the-top (OTT) but became so popular that its producer decided to give it a theatrical release in a few select locations, hopefully marking the first of many such moves.

T: Triptii Dimri

Although Triptii Dimri had notable performances in Laila Majnu, Bulbbul, and Qala, it was her 10-minute role in Animal that made her a household name and earned her the moniker "National Crush." She is currently one of the most sought-after young stars in Bollywood.

U: Atypical

This year, "unconventional" was the buzzword, whether it was used to describe a character like the knife-for-hire Chaar Cut Atmaram in Guns & Gulaabs, played with a devilish sense of humour by the mullet-wearing Gulshan Devaiah, or a movie title like Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar.

V: Vidhu Vinod Chopra & Vikrant Massey

Together, VM and VVC formed a third "V" that stands for victory. The audience responded with aspiration to the modestly budgeted but brilliantly executed film 12th Fail, which came out of practically nowhere and told the true story of a young man who becomes an IAS officer despite failing Class 12. One of the year's biggest hits is the little big movie.

W: The strike by writers

It took a while, but in May Hollywood writers went on strike against the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Producers over a labor dispute and the impending threat of artificial intelligence. For a total of 148 days, SAG-AFTRA provided the writers with company as numerous well-known actors joined them in the picket fences.

X: The X-factor

The tall and attractive Vedang Raina, who portrayed Reggie Mantle in The Archies, stood out among a group of second-generation Bollywood actors for his charm as well as his Paul Newman-like appearance. A few hundred "Vedang Raina" Instagram fan pages are starting to appear even as we write this.

Y: Universe of YRF Spy

Yash Raj Films delivered on its promise of a spy universe a la Avengers. Shah Rukh Khan's Pathaan needed some kicks and chops to defeat the enemy, and Salman Khan's Tiger showed up in Pathaan to help. They then had a talk about painkillers. In return, Pathaan gave Tiger 3 a spectacular action sequence, and in the post-credits scene, Hrithik Roshan's super agent Kabir makes an appearance. Next is War 2, where Alia Bhatt plays the first female spy in the YRF universe in Tiger vs. Pathaan.

Z: Aman Zeenat

Zeenat Aman, who is in her seventies, still demonstrates for us how it should be done. The actress from the past, who was always regarded as being ahead of her time, stunned everyone on social media when she made her Instagram debut in February. Zeenat quickly amassed a record number of followers thanks to her modest and free-spirited posts, which still appeal to people. She is back behind the camera, producing films and turning heads on fashion week catwalks.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Press Time staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.