EACH month in 2024 brought its own mix of highs and lows for Bollywood. Eastern Eye looks back at the year, month by month, highlighting the successes and disappointments that defined the Hindi film industry.
January
Good: Vidhu Vinod Chopra triumphed at the Filmfare Awards, winning best film, director, and screenplay for last year’s sleeper hit 12 Fail. Vikrant Massey also won best actor (critics), and the film took home best editing.
Bad: Hrithik Roshan returned to cinemas after two years with Fighter. Unfortunately, the highbudget air force drama massively underperformed at the box office.
February
Good: Yami Gautam achieved a major box office hit with the controversial film Article 370. While her performance was highly praised, the film faced criticism for distorting facts.
Bad: Vidyut Jamm wal faced a bitter blow with Crakk, which flopped critically and commercially, despite being a passion project he also produced.
Yami Gautam
March
Good: Ajay Devgn scored a hit with supernatural thriller Shaitaan, a Bollywood remake of a popular Gujarati film. Its success has sparked plans for an exciting sequel.
Bad: Sidharth Malhotra continued his streak of box office flops with the disappointing Yodha.
Sidharth Malhotra
April
Good: Parineeti Chopra received universal acclaim for her performance in the biopic Amar Singh Chamkila, marking her successful reestablishment in Bollywood.
Bad: Tiger Shroff followed last year’s disastrous Ganapath with another disappointment, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, which failed miserably at the box office.
May
Good: Shabana Azmi celebrated 50 years of her illustrious career, receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award at the London Asian Film Festival and the Freedom of the City of London honour.
Bad: Divya Khossla added another flop to her resume with Savi. The action crime thriller failed, despite being a remake of the successful 2008 French film Anything for Her.
June
Good: Newcomer Sharvari enjoyed her first major success with the sleeper hit Munjya, a horror-comedy that quickly became a box office sensation.
Bad: Kartik Aaryan’s highly anticipated biopic Chandu Champion failed to meet expectations at the box office, despite receiving positive reviews and praise for his performance.
July
Good: Shah Rukh Khan was announced as the recipient of a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 Locarno Film Festival, which he proudly collected in August.
Bad: Akshay Kumar suffered his second flop of the year with Sarfira. Things worsened the following month when Khel Khel Mein made it a hat-trick of failures for the star.
Akshay Kumar
August
Good: Rajkummar Rao celebrated the biggest hit of his career with the box-office smash Stree 2, which also boosted the profiles of co-stars Shraddha Kapoor and others.
Bad: John Abraham endured another box office failure with Vedaa, a flop action drama he also produced.
September
Good: Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies was chosen as India’s official entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 97th Academy Awards.
Bad: Reports emerged that Urmila Matondkar had filed for divorce after eight years of marriage, with strong suggestions that the split was not mutual.
Kiran Rao
October
Good: Juhi Chawla was revealed as India’s wealthiest actress, thanks to wise investments, her marriage to a successful businessman, and her partnership with Shah Rukh Khan.
Bad: Alia Bhatt’s prison break thriller Jigra, which she also produced, underperformed at the box office and faced accusations of being a poor imitation of another film.
November
Good: Vidya Balan made a triumphant return to the Bhool Bhulaiyaa franchise, starring in the hugely successful third instalment and proving again no one can play Manjulika quite like her.
Bad: Vikrant Massey, who ended 2023 with the sleeper hit 12 Fail, rounded off this year with the critical and commercial failure The Sabarmati Report.
Vidya Balan
December
Good: Rashmika Mandana followed up her 2023 blockbuster Animal with another pan-Indian hit, Pushpa 2: The Rule, including its Hindi-dubbed version.
Bad: It was a terrible month for Bollywood as the Telugu movie Pushpa 2: The Rule dominated the box office. The much-anticipated release of the epic action film Chhaava was postponed to avoid a clash, and other Hindi movies released during December are widely expected to fail miserably.
Rahul’s casual dismissal of that controversy has added fuel to the fire
Rahul Bhatt sparks controversy over 'insensitive' remarks about sisters Alia and Pooja Bhatt
Rahul Bhatt, fitness trainer and son of veteran filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, has found himself at the centre of a social media storm following controversial remarks about his half-sister, Alia Bhatt. In a recent interview, Rahul drew comparisons between Alia and their older sister Pooja Bhatt, calling the latter more talented, attractive, and principled.
The comments, which many have labelled inappropriate and insensitive, have sparked widespread criticism online. During the interview, Rahul stated, “In my opinion, she (Alia) is not even half of what my real sister Pooja is. Not in talent, not in looks, not in terms of being sexy. In front of my sister, she is ‘paani kam chai’ (watery tea). Amongst the siblings, the most talented and the most moralistic is Pooja.”
Social media users reacted strongly, questioning why Rahul would compare his sisters in such personal terms. Several users were particularly disturbed by his reference to their appearance and sex appeal, pointing out that such comparisons within a family cross boundaries of propriety. One comment read, “This is disturbing. Why talk about your sisters like that? It’s not just weird, it’s wrong.” Another post said, “There’s nothing respectful about comparing your siblings’ attractiveness in public.”
The backlash also reignited conversation around a decades-old controversy involving Mahesh Bhatt and Pooja Bhatt. Rahul was asked about the infamous 1990s magazine cover where the father-daughter duo shared a kiss, which had stirred public outrage at the time. Dismissing the criticism, Rahul said, “It doesn’t make any difference. It’s like water off a duck’s back. We know the truth, and we’ve seen everything since childhood.”
Rahul’s casual dismissal of that controversy has added fuel to the fire, with critics saying it reflects a broader issue of the Bhatt family being insensitive to public perception and boundaries. Many users questioned the need for bringing up old incidents in a bid to defend new and equally questionable statements.
As of now, neither Alia Bhatt nor Pooja Bhatt has issued any public response to Rahul’s remarks. Both actors, known for their significant contributions to Indian cinema, have typically kept family matters private despite living in the public eye.
This episode has also sparked debate over the role of public figures in maintaining respect when discussing family matters in the media. Observers say such comments, especially when involving women’s appearance and personal qualities, reinforce problematic attitudes and fuel unnecessary controversies.
While Rahul Bhatt is not as prominent in the entertainment industry as his father or sisters, his comments have made headlines and placed the Bhatt family in the spotlight for reasons beyond their creative work. For many, this serves as a reminder that public platforms come with responsibility, and that family ties should not be trivialised or dissected for attention or comparison.
The backlash is unlikely to subside soon, especially as fans and followers of Alia and Pooja continue to express disappointment over the way the situation has unfolded. Whether or not Rahul chooses to clarify or apologise remains to be seen.