Bollywood in 2024 showcased and witnessed some dynamic trends reshaping the industry. AI-driven filmmaking and virtual reality promotions revolutionized storytelling and audience engagement. Eco-conscious narratives reflected global concerns, while regional collaborations brought cultural diversity to the forefront. OTT platforms continued to dominate, with experimental genres exploring untapped themes. Bold female-led projects and empowered storytelling broke traditional molds, gaining widespread acclaim. Revivals of classic films captivated nostalgic audiences, blending the old with the new. The fusion of music and visuals saw vibrant dance sequences regaining prominence. International partnerships expanded Bollywood’s global reach, making 2024 a transformative year of innovation, inclusivity, and creative evolution.

We'd like to discuss below the top 10 trends that Bollywood and its audience saw in 2024 which may not necessarily be in chronological order.

1. Re-release of Films: It wouldn’t be wrong to call 2024, the year of re-releases and re-runs. Indian cinema witnessed a resurgence of its classics like Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!, Veer-Zaara, Tumbbad, Rockstar, Karan Arjun, Jab We Met, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, Laila Majnu and Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein, etc., allowing audiences to relive cherished memories and experience the magic of these films on the big screen yet again. Some re-releases surprisingly earned more money in their rerun than their initial release.

2. Podcasts: A good number of Bollywood actors joined the likes of Varun Dhawan, Kartik Aaryan, Alia Bhatt, Kajal Aggarwal, and Shilpa Shetty, who owned their Youtube channels like Rubina Diliak, Rhea Chakraborty and Rana Daggubati, etc., where they invited a celeb over a podcast creating a source of additional income for themselves.

3. Propaganda Films: With the inauguration of the Ram Temple and Lok Sabha elections in 2024, we got see a good number of propaganda films hitting the marquee one after another. Except for Article 370 and The Sabarmati Report none of the films really made an impact at the box office. The ones that went unnoticed were Accident or Conspiracy: Godhra, Bajrang Aur Ali, Dashmi, Godhra: Accident or Conspiracy, Hamare Baarah, JNU: Jahangir National University, etc.

4. Usage of AI Tools: If 2023 witnessed the emergence of AI then 2024 saw people getting acquainted with it and using it to the optimum making some hilarious memes on social media platforms. Some AI tools introduced in 2024 were mini clips from popular Bollywood films which could be transformed into actors doing the unexpected. One such hilarious clip was of Thakur Baldev Singh (Sanjeev Kumar) in Sholay who refuses to pick up a gun to help Jai and Veeru and when Veeru asks why he didn’t pick up the gun Thakur removes his shawl to display his six-packs. Then the one where Gabbar is about to cut Thakur’s arms, but it turns hilarious when both embrace each other. This could just be the beginning of what AI is going to undo with our classics.

5. An Increase in Star Cameos: Another trend that one got to see in Bollywood in 2024 was an increase in star cameos. Though star cameos aren’t new, but this year had more than any other year. The stars who appeared in cameos in 2024 were Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, Janhvi Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Tiger Shroff, Varun Dhawan, Ranveer Singh, Ananya Panday, Mrunal Thakur, Mouni Roy, etc., the list is endless.

6. A Decrease in Ticket Rates on Special Occasions: If 2023 had the ‘Buy 1 Ticket, Get 1 Free’ offer then 2024 gave audiences a slash in ticket prices, especially successful films and re-runs during the festivals. The strategy was obviously to get in some more crowds and moolah, but both were short-lived.

7. More Horror Comedies: Finally, a comedy horror universe was declared by producer Dinesh Vijan in 2024 who announced that a handful of stories revolving around the same genre is in the pipeline. The year 2024 saw a surge of horror comedies like Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, Munjya, Stree 2, Kakuda, etc., doing rather well for themselves taking center stage while weaving a universe around it.

8. Back-To-Back End Credit Songs: Many may have not noticed a new trend started in 2024 in Bollywood movies that had a couple of songs played back-to-back during the end credits. Movies like Stree 2, Fighter, Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video, Crew had back-to-back songs during their end credits which could be because one of the songs did not fit into the narration or story. Whether or not this trend will stay is hard to predict.

9. Merger of Big Production Banners: Mergers and acquisitions were the big game changer in 2024. The entertainment landscape is witnessing a wave of consolidation marked by mergers between two production giants such as Excel Entertainment and Amazon Studios, Disney Star and Reliance and the recent RIL potentially acquiring 50% stakes of Dharma Productions. Looks like after amounting to massive losses, mergers seem to be the only way ahead for Bollywood production banners to survive in the entertainment business.

10. A Surge in OTT Platforms: Last but not least, an increase in OTT streaming platforms was witnessed. Bollywood movies that didn’t get a theatrical or OTT release on any of the popular streaming platforms like ZEE5, Amazon Prime, JioCinema, Netflix or Disney Hotstar, premiered on channels such as Sony TV, Zee Cinema, YouTube, Shemaroo – including movies like Jaaiye Aap Kahan Jaayenge, Kisko Tha Pata, Adbhut, Welcome Wedding, etc.

If you think of a Bollywood trend that did the rounds in 2024 which we have missed out on in the above list, please do mention it in the comments box below.

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