However Bollywood has a tendency to let us down in more ways than one. So much so that mediocrity has become the order of the day. Thank heavens for Internet, for it has given us many independent, creative writers and directors over the last decade.

With nothing but hope for a better cinema in our hearts, we have compiled a list of subjects/themes we would love to see Bollywood work on:

Disclaimer: If you think we are trying to compare Bollywood with Hollywood, that’s because we are. If Hollywood and other parts of the world can make movies on diverse subjects, so can Bollywood.

1. Apocalypse:

The United States isn’t the only country that’s going to be affected by a supposed apocalypse. And yet there isn’t one film by Bollywood that deals with the subject of surviving apocalypse or post-apocalyptic colonization.

2. Disaster Movies

Speaking of the end of the world, hey Bollywood, how about attempting something that has been done to death in other parts of the world? The last time Bollywood dealt with a disaster, Sooraj Pancholi won a Filmfare.

3. Psychological Thrillers

While it’s true that Bollywood has been making psychological thrillers over the last decade or so but none that we could be proud of. Let’s hope Bollywood ups its game in the years to come.

4. Identity Crisis

Think of Fight Club, The Sixth Sense, The Machinist or even the much celebrated Taxi Driver. All these movies (and more) explored identities of their protagonists. We tried thinking of Bollywood movies that dealt with the subject and soon gave up. Your audience is craving for a change, Bollywood.

5. Movies set in a room

While this is not a subject, it’s one theme we would love for Bollywood to trap itself in. Movies like 12 Angry Men, Man From Earth, Rope etc. are testimonies to the fact that you don’t need extravagance to make good cinema.

6. Serial Killers

If we can appreciate serial killer movies from another culture, imagine how much we’ll appreciate well made serial killer films from India. It’s sad we don’t have a Se7en, American Psycho, Deathproof or anything close to the subject.

7. Time Travel

It’s just sad that the country that produces the most number of movies in the world has never made a movie on one of the most beloved and progressive genres in cinema. No, Action Replayy was neither time travel nor Bollywood. We refuse to accept it.

8. Political Comedy

When we can spend months at length defending our tolerance of things, why are we then yet to make a comedy around the very funny political scenario of our country? Why can’t we have a political satire that takes names of real people? If the world can do that, why can’t Bollywood?

9. Sex

It’s getting to the point of annoyance that a country of 1.2 billion people does not have movies that deal with sexual repression/addiction/abuse. We have been taking baby steps for decades now to refer to sex. While we’re on the subject, it’s about time we stop signifying copulation by way of pollination.

10. Loneliness

Cast Away, Her, Taxi Driver are just some of the examples of what the West has achieved with the theme of human loneliness. It’s about time our protagonists stop trying to impress women and start being more real.

11. Courtroom Drama

So much can be done around the setting of a courtroom drama, as is seen in innumerable movies from around the world. With the Marathi movie Court, we did get a taste of real Indian courtroom trials but as we discuss movie subjects, Bollywood sits on a mountain high up above counting the number of zeroes in 500 crore.

12. Racism

We live in a racist and an imperfect world. We see racism around us all the time and even contribute to it occasionally. When talking about movies on social issues, racism is the last thing that comes to our mind and that equation should change soon.

Some famous and excellent examples of movies about racism are: American History X, Crash, This Is England.

13. Social Experiments

This one’s my personal favorite. Social experiments are conducted to understand the underlying human tendencies that surface in fabricated surroundings. While this may not make for a happy family outing movie, this is the kind of subject that will help audiences evolve.

Abhay Kumar’s Placebo will be the first time India will be exposed to social experiments in movies. Some famous social experiment movies from the west are: The Stanford Prison Experiment, Exam, The Experimenter etc.

14. The Internet

Saving the best for the last. Internet has revolutionized the way we go about our lives. From communication to romance to crime, there’s so much that can be covered around the theme of Internet. Like the famous American movie Hard Candy that deals with online sexual predators.

The purpose of any art-form is to help the audiences to evolve, to help them see things in a different light. Here’s hoping that Bollywood starts doing just that.