Bollywood, India’s Hindi language movie industry, made an impressive comeback in 2023 after a pandemic-driven slowdown, audience fatigue, and the streaming platforms taking away a big chunk of viewership. Indian moviegoers are back in theaters and the massive commercial success of big-ticket Bollywood films has set to rest fears of Mumbai’s glitzy dream factory losing its shine. More than anything, the year belonged to India’s beloved superstar Shah Rukh Khan, whose string of hits pumped up the box office numbers like never before. It was also a year when hyper-masculinity made a strident comeback in Bollywood, often wrapped in misogyny and aggressive nationalism.
