Big budgets take a hit in Bollywood

With stars failing to get their sizzle on for the big screen, its time to walk the talk on content, say studios and trade analysts

The situation is so dire says an old Bollywood hand that in the past six months, barely 4-5 out of approximately 30 Bollywood releases have recovered the cost for producers. Neither the star power of Salman Khan nor the marketing flourish demonstrated by a slew of actors has worked. And the most successful movies of the year have been indie hits made at piffling budgets. As Bollywood struggles to find a formula that can crack open the box office, studios and small producers say it is time to turn the gaze away from big stars, towards the stories.