Children's Day Special: What Mumbai kids want from Bollywood

Children's Day special

One can always expect kids to speak their mind. And when we, at hitlist, spoke to some of them on the occasion of Children's Day, we were amused, to say the least, when they shared their thoughts on Bollywood. It was interesting to note how most of them were unwittingly funny but also innocent in their perception of what they expect from the Hindi filmdom via three queries - the first thing that comes to their mind when they think of Bollywood, what they like and dislike about Hindi films and finally, what they would like to watch more of. Read on to know why kids rock…

Yash Jain, 14

"When I see Hindi films, I get a little bored as what they show is a tad childish. They are not as adventurous like foreign films. But I like the fact that they have some respect for our country but most of their concepts is the same and is usually copied from either Telugu or English or other regional films. They should experiment more with the thriller genre and add a bit of adventure to the storyline. There should be a twist in every scene, which would make the film interesting."

Omansh Agarwal, 13

"The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of films is Salman aka bhai. I like comedy movies more. Romantic ones are a no-no for me."

Umang Athwani, 14

"The term Bollywood is synonymous with a hero romancing a chiffon saree-clad heroine in Switzerland. I like Hindi songs but not the stupidity they show 80 per cent of the time. Not everything about Bollywood is perfect but that does not stop me from watching films."

Srishti Ramakrishnan, 14

"The first thing that strikes me about Bollywood is films without character, creativity and the lack of a relevant message. Movies only aim at making big profits. I hate the influence certain films and item songs have on people. Filmmakers should keep in mind that what they show is replicated on Indian streets. I like movies with a social message. I feel that Bollywood movies at this point lack good stories. The industry should realise that they have the power to reach out to the whole populace and should make the best use of such an opportunity. If they are closer to reality, have less of 'gaana bajaana' and unnecessary running around the bush, I would watch more Bollywood movies."

Rehwa Mathur

"Bollywood has always been about over-the-top clichéd romantic stories with the protagonists ending on a happily-ever-after note, so films are definitely about love. The best thing is the properly choreographed dance number that starts in the middle of nowhere as random people join in! A proper script with meaning is what's missing in movies these days. Humshakals to R. Rajkumar - everything is acceptable as long as it has a popular hero."

Amaan Shaikh, 11

"Bolllywood is all about Salman Khan. He is my favorite actor and I want to become like him when I grow up. I like action scenes but I don't like how we copy English films. Our movies are far from reality. Directors should make entertaining films with sensible content."

Kiara Powar, 8

"I love Kareena Kapoor and Akshay Kumar. I love the glamorous clothes that heroines wear. I don't like violent films but I like Akshay's stunts. I hate villians, especially the ones who scare children."

Aishwarya Tiwari, 15

"I like drama and entertainment in movies. I like the way they take a concept and create a whole new story out of it, presenting it in a way that inspires you and makes you think of things that you wouldn't even consider otherwise. I don't like predictable stories. I would like to watch more movies like Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. They should show more logic rather than only action sequences and illogical comedy."

Shivansh Shetye, 8

"Hindi films mean a lot of action, my favourite heroes, favourite films and songs. I like how everything has a happy ending and good people always win. I don't like it when they show bad things happening to good people. There should be more films for and about children. We should be allowed to watch all kinds of movies. Our parents should not put restrictions on us. It's not fair."

Manas Deshpande, 9

"When someone says Bollywood, I think of a hero and a heroine. My favourite actor is Ajay Devgn. I loved him in Singham Returns. I also liked Bhootnath, Taare Zameen Par, Stanley Ka Dabba and Main Tera Hero. I don't like films which make you cry. I want more to see action films. My all time favourite actress is Madhuri Dixit and among the current lot, I think Deepika Padukone is the best."

Ayesha Mistry, 8

"I watch films for the make-up and the beautiful clothes that actresses wear. I just watched Happy New Year and I loved Deepika Padukone's outfits. I don't like to see violence in films - the blood and gore makes me uncomfortable. I wish Bollywood will make more children-centric films in future. Lighthearted movies are fun to watch."

Sanyam Jain, 11

"I love to watch comedy as well as action films. A movie that has a mix of both makes for an ideal watch. I don't like horror films since they are badly made."

Nabiha Siddiqee, 13

"Hindi films mean dance, music and Honey Singh to me. I like the fact that India has a huge pool of talent but I cannot digest too much drama. A lot of times even a dance number gets over the top. Bollywood lacks originality and sophistication. Most of the films have adult content and are not child appropriate."

Saaniyah Khan, 9

"I love watching Hindi films and Shah Rukh Khan is the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of Bollywood. Katrina Kaif is my favourite actress. I like to imitate the dance moves of the actors as I love dancing. Most of the time I fall asleep even before the film ends. I would love to see movies where heroines are fighting against the bad guys. I also look forward to superhero movies like Krrish."

Areeba Ansari, 8

"What I like most about Hindi films is that good people always win over the bad ones. I don't like to watch movies where everybody is shouting like they do in TV serials. There should be more movies with children in them. I don't like songs and dance. I want to watch 3D, animation and comedy films."

Muskaan Sheikh, 10

"I don't like Hindi films a lot but I love watching animation movies. When I think of Bollywood, I think of Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai. What I like the most about Hindi films is that they are very funny. What I don't like is how they use guns to shoot people. In short, I hate fighting scenes. I'd love to watch films featuring animals, especially dogs, because I love dogs!"

Adnan Shah, 10

"When I think of films, I think of action films of heroes jumping from buildings and beating up everyone like Hrithik Roshan did in Bang Bang. I like Ajay Devgn films like Singham and Singham Returns because of his six pack and dialogues like 'Ata majhi satakli'. I don't like Ranveer Singh, and I find his films boring. I didn't like Kick because I didn't understand how the villain died in it."

Riya Shetty, 13

The word 'film' makes me think of comedy movies. I like Kareena Kapoor and like to watch her films to learn her dance moves and see her dresses. I don't like sad movies like Aashiqui 2. I would like to see more of Varun Dhawan!"

Ibrahim Siddiqi, 9

"When I think of films, I think of Kick. Salman Khan is the real hero. I like to watch funny films like Entertainment that make me laugh. I don't like sad films. They are like TV serials and make everyone cry. I want to see a superhero film which also has a fun element."

Amoorth Shetty, 13

"Hindi films have lots of drama and too much romance. I like the songs in Hindi movies because of which every movie is a musical. I cannot tolerate melodrama. I think we need newer, better stories as filmmakers keep recycling old stories or copy from English films.

Tanisha Sharma, 11

"The first thing that comes to my mind when you say the word Bollywood is actors, directors, producers, make-up and pretty ladies. When I watch movies, I don't like the violence or the sad parts. I don't like movies starring actresses who are not pretty. More movies for kids would do a world of good to us."

Aayush Dubey, 11

"The first thing that comes to my mind when you say Bollywood is a ball made of wood. I like to watch comedy and meaningful films and hate the horrible action films that have no story or logic. I think good stories are missing from Bollywood."

Jvalita Krishan,13

"The first thing that comes to my mind about Bollywood is drama. Everything is extremely dramatised but at the same time that's what makes it entertaining. What I like about Bollywood movies nowadays is that they are modern and open but I dislike how there are too many remakes and sequels and how movies are unnecessarily long and seldom realistic. You can never relate to Bollywood movies. They need to stop including item numbers in movies. I wonder how all the actors and background dancers just happen to dance in sync. When did they even arrange for those dancers? It's so random."

Shurvi Karande, 7

"I think of Shah Rukh Khan when I think of Bollywood. I would want to meet him once I grow up. I hate boring songs and I like Honey Singh. I want to see more of superhero films like Spider-Man and Superman."

Swara Kadam, 9

"I like fun films like Entertainment which don't have too many action scenes. I am a Shah Rukh Khan fan. He dances well and does some nice stunts. I also like Deepika Padukone. I don't like action films like Kick because I don't enjoy fighting." Animation and comedy is what I want to see in films."

Ranveer Singh, 13

To me, Hindi films mean action and dialogues. They also have good stories as compared to Hollywood films. I like Salman Khan's movies the most because I enjoy comedy and action. I dislike films that have abusive language and are only meat for adults. I want to see a film which balances the elements of horror, action and comedy."

Safa Faruqi, 13

"When I think of films, I think of romance because most Hindi films are love stories. I like comedy films, especially funny punchlines. I like modern songs and not the old ones. Yo Yo Honey Singh is my favourite. I watch Kareena Kapoor's films because she is the best actress around. I also like her dressing sense. I want to see films where they try to adapt Hollywood techniques like Shah Rukh Khan did in Ra.One."

Deepal Manish Rathod, 8

"I love Shah Rukh Khan and Kareena Kapoor. I enjoy the dance, music and the beautiful scenery we get to see in Hindi films. I don't like boring stories and vulgarity. I feel we should have films that tell stories of children. The last film I liked was Happy New Year. My all time favourite is Kuch Kuch Hota Hai."

- Compiled by Shreya Agarwal