Gollywood highs of 2013

The year which began on a lukewarm note for Gollywood, warmed up to offbeat Gujarati movies while run of the mill potboilers took a back seat. Gujarati movies with contemporary storylines and a modern approach took over the single screens as well as multiplexses, which made it quite an eventful year for the local film industry. Here’s a look at what kept the film industry in the limelight this year:
Finally an Oscar nomination The first good news of the year was when 'The Good Road' won a national award in the regional film category.The second came when the same film was nominated as India’s official entry to the Oscars. The news, however, received mixed set of reactions in the Hindi film industry with some giving a thumbs up to the movie for its efforts, while some panned it for showing Gujarat in a bad light. Overall, The Good Road set a benchmark in how content and good performances can take a regional movie to places and may be even put it on the world map.
Glam moments The year marked renowned names in Bollywood and television making their debut in Gujarati films. Established actors like Swaroop Sampat, Sonali Kulkarni, Ajay Gehi, Vrajesh Hirjee, Rajeev Mehta and Manav Gohil added their signature touch by doing Gujarati films. At the same time newbies like Samvedna Suwalka and Karan Ashar grabbed eyeballs with their debut acts on 'Happy Familyy Pvt Ltd'.
Content gets a makeover In an optimistic move, 2013 saw content get a makeover. With films like 'Saptapadi', 'The Good Road' having set the trend, other films like 'Teenagers’ Gang', 'Koine Kehsho Nahi' and 'Happy Famillyy Pvt Ltd' joined the makeover bandwagon. Says director Abhishek Jain, “One good thing that has happened is that the fear of embracing change is slowly fading away. With more filmmakers now open to changing storylines, the scene is expected to get better in future. At the same, the focus should be on a strong content, which the audience will appreciate.”
On a happy note With more Gujarati films having been screened this year as compared to 2012, the year seems to be ending on a happy note. Says director Dinesh Avasthi, “What one needs now is proper marketing of films. With Gujarati films having opened up to contemporary storylines, there is scope of well packaged films doing good business at multiplexes. We will come up with another Gujarati film soon.”
With Gollywood having braced up for the next innings, the picture seems to be rosy.