GEN-X: The future of Bollywood

There's no questioning the fact that Youngistan rules! Not underestimating the potential of the urban youth market Bollywood has now taken to wowing Gen-X with films that appeal to young sensibilities tackling contemporary issues that are not just content strong but also set the cash registers ringing.

Setting the trend, the biggest winners of 2010 happened to be films like Balaji's LOVE SEX AURR DHOKHA, UTV Spotboy's UDAAN and Walkwater's TERE BIN LADEN and keeping to the trend of catering to the youth the next two months of 2011's offerings include films like Ekta Kapoor's RAGINI MMS, Red Chillies's ALWAYS KABHI KABHI,Viacom18 & Anurag Kashyap's SHAITAN and UTV & Sanjay Leela Bhansali Production's MY FRIEND PINTO.

Explains famed theater personality, Roshan Abbas who makes his directorial debut with Red Chillies ALWAYS KABHI KABHI, "50% of India is under 35. A young audience wants younger themes, actors and stories. And with young actors stories that are about the youth make them far more identifiable. Young people would like AKK because it will mirror their life"

Bollywood is going young as filmmakers today are waking up to the potential of the teen market and crafting films for them. Gen-X films are a commercially viable option with the youth comprising of a major percentage of the audience. Via com 18 Motion Pictures' new brand Tipping Point Films will cater to the evolving sensibilities of the urban, Indian youth by offering edgy and engaging film content whereas Balaji's brand ALT Entertainment broke all barriers with their LOVE SEX AUR DHOKHA that addressed contemporary issues in an in-your-face manner.

Says Ekta Kapoor, "The youth today are looking to watch films that they can relate to and subjects that are contemporary. They want to be spoken to in their own language-LSD looked closely at voyeurism while our latest offering RAGINI MMS is an intelligent sensual paranormal thriller that will really speak to the youth "

In attempt to capture the hearts and imagination of the youth Yash Raj Film's launched their new youth studio Y-Films and director Karan Johar revisits his roots and is out next with STUDENT OF THE YEAR- a high school musical.

Says Bijoy Nambier, director of SHAITAN, "More and more film makers are getting into making movies for the youth because until now this was a highly ignored segment. Youth movies are not restricted to candy floss romance. SHAITAN for example has them as the main protagonists in an edge of the seat realistic thriller. It should appeal to them because they will identify and relate to the characters, the world, the language, the music and the way it is presented."

Producers and directors today have realized the importance of targeting the youth as a primary audience � and hence most of the movies dominating this year are young film offerings by industry biggies like Ekta Kapoor, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Anurag Kashyap, Karan Johar and the likes.

The social networking generation comprise of smart, well informed, focused urban teens �socially committed and career oriented and could make or break a film in the span of minutes keeping a movie maker well on his/her toes. Taking the mediocre route doesn't help in promoting these films Gen-X demands unconventional, creative and out-of the box methods that a few have mastered.