The mood is rather upbeat in Bollywood, as not only has there been a rather high ratio of hits this year, but also according to trade analysts, several films that’ve come out of the Bollywood stable have proven to be game changers in many ways. “This year has been a good one for Bollywood so far. Despite the cricket season dominating the first and second quarter, we’ve had a rather good Q1 and Q2. The last quarter is yet to end, but the cash registers have been ringing good so far. We’ve had several money spinners, including three films crossing the Rs 100 crore mark and also many others that came close,” say trade analysts. But that apart, what makes this year all the more special are the kinds of films that we’ve seen being made, points out trade analyst Vajir Singh.

“The quality of cinema being made has certainly shot up. Many films can be considered path breaking, and while some clicked, even the others that didn’t, have paved way for more experimentations on those lines. I think the year belongs to these game changers,” says Vajir.

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh agrees. “From the use of 3D technology in films like Haunted to getting a kid superhero Zokkomon and from a film like No One Killed Jessica, that was both based on real life and only starred female protagonists, to a 7 Khoon Maaf that saw Priyanka Chopra in a rather unconventional way, there have been films that’ve upped the yardstick here. And not to forget, Salman (Khan) too has proven to be quite the game-changer himself with two of the biggest hits this year,” says Taran. “Then there’s the sci-fi Ra.One which has taken the use of technology and special VFX effects to a new level altogether. This has definitely been a big step for Bollywood. Also we had a Delhi Belly. Despite the language being Hinglish, the film was a mainstream commercial release and even did good business. These films have raised the bar several notches,” adds Taran.

“There’s no doubt that these films have managed to set a high benchmark for other films to follow. These films are a step towards more progressive cinema that’s at par with international standards,” adds trade analyst Bharti Pradhan. A senior distributor reveals that what stands out this year is that there has been a balance maintained between the experimental fare and the commercial successes. “So, while there has been enough room for filmmakers to think out-of-the-box and make films that are hardly run of the mill fare, there has been out-and-out commercial fare too, so the industry has still raked in the moolah, no matter what the fate of the other films. In totality it’s been a successful year so far for Bollywood. The hit ratio has definitely shot up this year. Be it the biggies or mid-budget flicks, the theatre-goers have had nothing to complain about this year,” he says