Bollywood's cinematic resurgence shines in SA

GOOD CROWDS

- FAKIR HASSEN

OF THE almost 150 Bollywood movies released for the big screen in 2025, about a third of the better ones were shown on the South African circuit, all brought in by the Avalon Group's CineCentre cinemas.

The runaway sleeper hit was Saiyaara, which saw additional shows being put on at cinemas for several weeks. This last happened many years ago.

The musical romantic drama, one of very few in this genre this year, gave debutant stars Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda a boost for their careers. The tearjerker and its box-office success was reminiscent of the era of movies such as Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Dil To Paagal Hai. The title song has also been popular this year.

The changing trend of violence becoming more acceptable to both the Indian censors and audiences was reflected again in a number of the movies, the latest and most graphic being Durandhar, released a fortnight ago.

It drew good crowds despite the violence, due to the superb performances by an ensemble of veteran actors in roles they would not usually be seen in, such as Ákshaye Khanna and Rakesh Bedi.