BOLLYWOOD had expected fans to return in hordes to the multiplexes in 2022. They did rush back for the theatrical experience but not for the movies whose makers had pinned their hopes on a post-pandemic, back-to-business-as-usual run. A string of big-budget Mumbai films struggled to find takers. The void was filled by films from the South: RRR, KGF 2, Pushpa and Kantara.
The Bombay industry was plunged into disarray. The growing panic was best illustrated by the events that followed the October release of. . .