Mood of the Nation: Who is the grand icon of Bollywood
Indians love a Baahubali-sized spectacle. In sports, cricket is still religion and cricketers gods, but minor deities of other sports inspire devotion as well.
Saahore Baahubali! The first Indian film to cross the Rs 1,000 crore mark at the box office, the success of the SS Rajamouli-directed fantasy epic was a reminder that audiences relish a theatrical spectacle. Expectedly, then, the respondents of the Mood of the Nation poll chose it as their favourite film of all time.
That a Telugu film dubbed in Hindi with no recognisable Bollywood stars was chosen as the best Hindi film proves how audiences are receptive to cinema irrespective of language and admire the vision of a filmmaker who thinks global but remains rooted in local culture.
Another film that meets those great expectations is Ramesh Sippy’s desi western Sholay, memorable even four decades on. Old is gold for India which is still in awe of Amitabh Bachchan, who has defied age and the Bollywood formula with films written for him.
Madhuri Dixit and Hema Malini may not be as active on screen as Bachchan but are still cherished for their charismatic presence. Their younger peers have a long way to go to leave an impact.
Work is all that matters – be it here or abroad – which is why Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone emerge as dominant forces, despite not having a Hindi release in over a year. Chopra and Padukone have gone far ahead of their male counterparts by venturing into commercial Hollywood, simultaneously holding on to their superstar status at home. Among actors, Salman Khan and Bachchan tied in popularity stakes for 2016-17, but Akshay Kumar is giving the Khans a run for their money and making a case as the new superstar on the horizon.
