From SRK Mania to Meme Culture Is the Bollywood Craze Still Alive?

IS BOLLWOOD CRAZE STILL ALIVE AS MUCH AS IT WAS BEFORE?

We used tolove them. We used to idolize them. We used toe enjoy watching them. Some even worshiped them. Yes, you guessed it right! I’m talking about, none other than, the Bollywood stars. But, does the current generation have mutual feelings? Is the GenZ as “bollywoodpaglu” as the millennials were? Is Bollywood still the same obsession as it once was, or have we all moved on? Is it only the GenZ that isn’t as obsessed, have all other generations moved on too?

BOLLYWOOD’S ERA

There used to be a time when Bollywood was the moment! Lines used to gather outside the theatres, for that one first day show ticket. We did’nt just watch movies, we lived them. It was never “just a movie” it was always an experience, a new inspiration, a new motivation, the start of a new perspective even. We memorized SRK dialogues, cried to Arijit songs, and danced to “London Thumakda” at literally every wedding. “Taare Zameen Par” was a hard relate for all those kids who were being pressurized into unwanted career paths.

K3G made every girl switch her wadrobe to “Poo’s”! People shouted, danced even whistled and threw money up in the air to express their joy of watching the film. Before Netflix, before Marvel, before algorithm-picked thumbnails decided what we watched - Bollywood was the culture. There was no “film community” — there was just everyone. You didn’t need an influencer to tell you what was trending - if Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham released, your entire school knew every dialogue by Monday morning. “Yeh shaadi nahin ho sakti” was the national catchphrase, and every college fest had that one guy trying to be Raj from DDLJ - arms spread, confidence zero. The Bollywood craze wasn’t about fandom; it was about faith. We believed in the slow-motion entry, in the tear that dropped on cue, in SRK looking at the heroine like she was the last monsoon cloud in a drought. But now? Bollywood’s magic feels… kinda like that ex you still follow on Instagram -familiar, nostalgic, but not quite the same anymore.

WHY BOLLYWOOD ISNT BOLLYWOOD”ING” ANYMORE

Blame (or thank) OTT. Today’s audience doesn’t care about who you are -  they care about what you deliver. We’ve swapped popcorn masala dramas for psychological thrillers, real stories, and edgy indies. Instead of worshipping heroes, we’re simping over scripts. Let’s face it - Farzi, Sacred Games, and Kota Factory hit harder than half the 200-crore blockbusters. Bollywood stars used to be untouchable gods. Now they’re just another “celebrity goes to Maldives” headline on our feed. However, can you blame us?

Is the content of Bollywood as good as it used to be? From cliché scenes to unoriginal scripts to crappy remakes, years of bad content has made us all OTT subscribers. Not only are our favourite legends getting old, from SRK to the famous “bhai”, but there are’nt as many new talented actors coming to our screens either. Bollywood has a problem, a problem that everyone has been talking about and that is NEPOTISM!

Actors who cannot act for their life of them are being given “ multiple chances to improve” whereas newcomers who are already powerhouses of talents are neglected. Like the Bollywood actor of Gehraaiyan, Siddhant Chaturvedi had rightly said, “ JIDHAR INKA STRUGGLE SHURU HOTA HAI WAHA HUMAARA KHATAM”. To be honest, the audiences are not going to wait around for the nepo kids to finally learn how to act and then deliver, the audiences are going to replace. Replace bad content with good and subscribe to content that screams talent, hardwork, originality and most importantly entertainment.

Gen Z Has the Range - and the Receipts. Gen Z doesn’t blindly stan. We question everything. Nepotism? We call it out.Lazy remakes? We roast them. Misogynistic songs? We turn them into memes. We’ve seen both sides - the glamour and the gaslighting.So when Bollywood tries to serve us another “rich-boy-falls-for-feisty-girl” plot in 2025, we’re like: “Babe, we’ve evolved. Give us originality or give us nothing.”

SO IS THE CRAZE DEAD?

Not dead - just different. Bollywood’s gone from being a religion to being reality TV. Let’s not sugarcoat it - the Bollywood craze as we knew it isn’t alive.It’s not the screaming-in-the-theatre, posters-on-the-wall, SRK-cutouts-on-your-birthday kind of obsession anymore. It’s evolved into something more complex — a mix of love, critique, and chaos that perfectly sums up Gen Z’s entire relationship with pop culture. We don’t follow stars like devotees anymore - we follow them like critics, commentators, and chaos enthusiasts. It’s no longer “OMG, Shah Rukh!” It’s “Can Bollywood keep up with us?” And that’s the real plot twist no one saw coming. 

 Aapke Sawal, Hamare Jawab! (FAQs)

1. Is Bollywood still as popular as it used to be?

Bollywood’s craze isn’t dead, but it’s definitely changed. Earlier, people would line up outside cinemas for every release. Now, with OTT and social media, the hype depends on content, not just stars.

2. Why do people say Bollywood is losing its charm?

Because Gen Z doesn’t blindly follow celeb culture anymore. They prefer relatable content, not overhyped drama. Plus, K-pop, Hollywood, and influencer culture are stealing Bollywood’s spotlight.

3. Which Bollywood stars still hold massive fan power today?

Legends like Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, and Deepika Padukone still dominate, but newer names like Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Kiara Advani are keeping the buzz alive among younger audiences.

4. Has OTT affected Bollywood’s craze?

Big time! OTT gave us fresh stories and non-star content that hit harder than many big-budget films. Now, audiences care more about authentic stories than red-carpet glamour.

5. What keeps Bollywood relevant for Gen Z today?

Memes, music, and nostalgia. Even if Gen Z roasts Bollywood online, they still groove to Lutt Putt Gaya or quote 3 Idiots. So yeah — the love is still there, just with more irony and filters.