What is it about mass films like 'Pushpa 2' that appeal to the audience?

Allu Arjunrsquos Pushpa 2 was undoubtedly one of the mostanticipated films of the year and naturally it attracted a large audience to the theatres on its release day December 5 The film registered the highestever opening by an Indian film by registering a worldwide gross of Rs 294 cr that too on a nonholiday weekday But soon after the critic reviews poured in and a lot of them did not match with the box office outcome Reviewers werenrsquot impressed with the plot of the filmldquoIs there any other picture whose beginning has no relation to its middle and the endmdashwhich feels so far away that even as the script had no pointpurpose anyway the film carries on with the endcredits rolling at such top speed that the others whorsquove worked on it simply donrsquot matterrdquo writes Mayank Shekhar in his review for MiddayWhile several critics more or less were left unimpressed with the filmrsquos premise and intent a lot of audience found the film enjoyable and have not relied on just critical acclaim to catch the film in theatres and voluntarily invest four hours plus of their life into this 3h 20m runtime interval travel timeThis isnrsquot the first time that films that have been poorly reviewed by critics have seen a massive collection at the box office In recent times films like Animal Gadar 2 and Kabir Singh saw a similar fate Films with heavy visual language including violence and massy dialogues have always found it audience and the reason is not just restricted to the star performing on screenSo what really appeals audience to films with heavy visual languageWhile the problems of such films have been discussed online there is also a large section of the audience who have thoroughly enjoyed these filmsPawan Sharma 29 a Mumbaibased VFX editor found lsquoKabir Singhrsquo starring Shahid Kapoor and Kiara Advani quite appealing The film a remake of the Telugu movie lsquoArjun Reddyrsquo did wonders at the box office but at the same time stirred discussion and debate around toxic masculinity and the portrayal of violence against women on screenTalking about what appealed to him about the film Sharma shares ldquoSandeep Reddy Vangarsquos direction was very raw at that time and we got something fresh to watch Shahid was also facing a dry spell at the box office until Kabir Singh I think Shahid used all that anger and channelised it very well through his character That is Kabir Singhrdquo Sharma said lauding the technical brilliance of the film in departments such as sound cinematography editing and musicAlekha Menon 28 based in Thrissur enjoyed both lsquoArjun Reddyrsquo and lsquoKabir Singhrsquo and the appeal for her was largely the filmrsquos music ldquoThe powerful performances by Vijay Deverakonda and Shahid Kapoor drew me into their complex flawed characters making it impossible to look away Coupled with the soulful music that underscored every moment the film offered a muchneeded escape from reality It was a cinematic experience that balanced intensity with vulnerability showcasing both the chaos and beauty of selfdestructive loverdquoAfter Kabir Singh all eyes were on Vangas second outing in Hindi Animal which promised to be very violent While it once again triggered conversations on depiction of violence and portrayal of women it also broke box office recordsMumbaibased Vishnu Prasad 29 who is a marketing professional was among those who thoroughly enjoyed the film despite its 3 hour 20 min runtime ldquoThe directors craft is pretty solid Ranbir was an absolute beast and owned the role The interval fight scene was cinematic gloryrdquoldquoEven if 10 minutes of the problematic portrayal of female characters were removed the film holds substance and cinematic brilliancerdquo says Devika a film industry professionalSimilarly Pushpa 2 despite critics pointing out the flaws in the storyline and intent audiences have loved the film for its glorious moments that give moviegoers the absolute big screen experienceImpact of films on audienceDr Sonal Anand a psychiatrist based in Mumbai feels that reduced attention span can also be a reason that contributes to the masses enjoying such films ldquoCultural authenticity emphasis on local culture or watching something common in onersquos childhood but not now can make these movies more enjoyable Attention span of the audience has reduced in general and even while watching movies most of the audience is distracted mostly with their own phones so the audience enjoys something that doesnrsquot interrupt their flow and which at the same time has a captivating photographic valueMental health researchers and workers are worried about how depicting violence can lead to increased violencerelated incidences in real life as well Desensitisation to violence is the major cause of concern But itrsquos not just the movies that depict violence Even video games that young children play on a daily basis are doing the same There are many other daytoday examples like popular songs use of phrases like I want to kill that person to describe simple hatred at times that can have an impact on impressionable minds adds Dr AnandMost people enjoy these largerthanlife dialogues as a means of escapism increase their own selfconfidence or sometimes even to impress others or even bully them Today maybe some people could get influenced by what they watch depending on their mental health status she concludes