5 min readAug 7, 2026 06:22 AM IST First published on: Aug 7, 2026 at 06:22 AM ISTThe latest shenanigans of a teenage superhero morphing into a spider in order to save the good guys from hulking monsters is currently running to packed theatres. Not just around the world, but also in India, where Spider-Man: Brand New Day has chalked up the biggest Hollywood opening weekend, while speaking in tongues: The classic line “With great power comes great responsibility” can be heard not just in the original English, but in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.And it’s not just Tom Holland swinging from dizzy heights in NYC which has got Indian audiences back to the big screen. Several Hollywood films have done such good business at the box office that many Indian films are having to postpone their releases for a safer slot, and we’re only halfway through 2026.AdvertisementChristopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, a paean to Homer’s epic, and to the director’s ability to parse ancient mythology for our cynical age, is still in theatres. Amazon MGM Studios’ sci-fi adventure Project Hail Mary, involving the very wholesome Ryan Gosling and his cutesy relationship with a friendly alien, racked up impressive numbers. Curry Barker’s Obsession, a non-starry horror film front-loaded with the aesthetics of a low-budget home movie and terrific performances became a surprise hit. And the very adult-themed chamber drama The Invite, toplined by Seth Rogen in an award-winning turn, drew major crowds.What’s going on? Hollywood has traditionally done well in urban Indian pockets, with its familiar franchise flicks and pacy actioners grabbing eyeballs. But it’s never been such a clear and present disrupter if you go by the enthusiastic reception for scrappy horror films, or small-canvas talky dramas, not just the expected big-budget creature features and superhero sagas.Is Bollywood’s spidey-sense tingling? Has it forgotten how to tell engaging stories? Aren’t the filmmakers in Mumbai, home to the biggest industry in the world, wondering where their loyal audience has gone? Dhurandhar 2 tops the list of successes this year, no surprises there, because of the unprecedented buzz it came riding on, and the doubling down on its content and intent. Then came, in no particular order, Border 2, Bhoot Bangla, Dhamaal 4, Welcome To The Jungle: The first was a solid film, layered with a strong anti-war sentiment; all the others are loud comedies coasting on low-hanging humour.AdvertisementWhat’s becoming abundantly clear is that only two kinds of films are being made, and supported, on scale in Bollywood these days: Propaganda and slapstick, both competing for the lowest common denominator. But this is not just me having a eureka moment. For the last decade, with the inexorable rise of polarising, divisive cinema, every other kind of filmmaking has been having a difficult time of it. Even if it does get made, the chances of it surviving, forget thriving, have become narrower and narrower.So does this signal the death of creativity in Bollywood? Not in the least. The industry is filled with filmmakers who are capable of telling stories with heart and craft, layered with technical polish, but in an ecosystem so blatantly inimical to liberalism and plurality, those voices are going unheard. Not into the void — we’re not quite there yet — but the risk is imminent.Two recent films which gave us the chance to question and interrogate the past, have broken through the shield. Imtiaz Ali’s Main Vaapas Aaunga, which deals with the twin-longing for a lost land and love, may not be all the way perfect, but it brings back a sense of springing hope. Naseeruddin Shah’s brilliant performance as a man who has never been able to forget, makes us remember. It makes us freer, and I can’t think of anything better.you may likeHoney Trehan’s Satluj, originally named Punjab 95, tells the story of an individual who fought for his people at a time when the state was riven by militancy. The film’s sudden appearance on streaming platform Zee5 and its equally sudden disappearance is an abiding mystery, but never more than the reason why the Indian censors kept demanding cuts for over three years. You could argue persuasively, and many have, that the thrust of the story was one-sided, that it didn’t touch upon all aspects besetting the troubled state. But that doesn’t take away from the fact of it being an important film which speaks to its time, and our time. Agreeing to disagree is the civilised way to go, but stonewalling its producer and director, and leaving them with no recourse, is beyond the pale.If pushback and intimidation is the response, the result will only be silence and submission. What price creativity?The writer is film critic, The Indian Express shubhra.gupta@expressindia.com