To really understand the impact of the latest films out of Bollywood, New York, one thing must be understood about Bollywood– it’s all about trends. As soon as an off-beat film manages to win over the audiences, filmmakers become “inspired” by the success and make films that are eerily similar to the unlikely hit film. Some of these imitations work (Jaane tu ya Jaane na), and some, well, fail (Julie, Sheesha).

Of course, this is common in any industry. But things are a bit different in Bollywood, as usual. Take for example the scary movie phase that started with the success of Raaz. When the thriller became a hit, horror films such as  Bhoot, Saaya, Kaal, Kasoor, and Naina followed. The same thing happened after the skin show Murder was a hit. Many scandalous and sexual films were produced after.

The most recent example of this phase is probably the one caused by Jab We Met. The film was different from the other successful films of 2007 because it didn’t require the Khan star power like Chak De India or Taare Zameen Par did.  Jab We Met worked , and soon similar films such as Kismat Konnection (failed) and Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na (excellent) released.

I won’t even get into the multi-starrer phase or the sequel phase in Bollywood. It’s too disturbing to recall.

So what brings me to discuss this Bollywood phenomenon today? It occurred to me after watching New York. This film is probably the next one make producers rush to find directors and directors rush to find producers with hopes for a sure-fire hit. This is because, after a series of dependable Yash Raj Films productions failed (they also produced this film), filmmakers have been scrambling to find films that would be dependable hits at the box office.

New York dealt with the “detainee” issue after 9/11 and the Patriot Act’s power of placing people in jail without any rights. At first glance, New York seems like a film that has some sort of political message. But, that really isn’t the case. What is different about this film is that it takes a risky political theme and uses it to make a thriller, but in a less “let’s kill the bad terrorists” way, like most movies about terrorism in Bollywood do. The film is more about entertainment (don’t forget, Yash Raj Films produced it) than about the detainee issue.

Let me clarify my point. By having Irrfan Khan and John Abraham’s characters as complete opposites, and then throwing in two moderate players in the mix, there really isn’t any stand being taken. There is barely a mention of John Abraham’s (the terrorist) religion. His character’s name, Sameer, could be either Hindu or Muslim. You do find out later that he is Muslim, but the word “inshallah” or “jihad” is never used. It’s not even a completely realistic point of view. Yes, terrorists definitely can and have been born out of he injustice caused by the Patriot Act, but the dramatic twists took away from any political weight, and what was left was an extremely exaggerated version of reality. This was purposefully done and successfully accomplished.

John Abraham’s character was portrayed as an all-American man (well, Bollywood’s interpretation of it) who called himself Sam, not Sameer, and was violated by the government as a possible 9/11 suspect. This contrast was made to show the extent of the detainee problem. But, the character was supposed to be arrogant (which was said over and over). The FBI agent played by Khan and Abraham’s wife played by Katrina Kaif  said that it was the timing of the situation that caused such injustices. No firm stance was taken on the matter.

This film wasn’t made to make a political statement, as I just explained. And the script did have giant holes in it, as usual. But, the film may have started its own new phase. It was an all-out entertainer, a thriller, an action movie. New York had very few songs, had a short love triangle that didn’t take over the film, and had some light moments, albeit few and far between. It wasn’t a formulaic masala film, it was definitely something new. And it worked.  It’s better to avoid the validity of the political concepts altogether.

New York could inspire the next batch of filmmakers in the coming months and years, and here’s hoping it’s for the better.  Action films in Bollywood have lately consisted of films like Ghajini, Race, and Tashan, all of which were full of dance sequences and weren’t much of a departure from the norm (other than maybe more of a skin show). New York offered something new to the viewers, and most importantly for filmmakers, it brought people to the box office.

My verdict is that New York has obviously entertained the masses, and it took a new route to do so. Hats off to that– but there was definitely huge potential to make the film much better (tighter script, better role for Kaif). It seems like this film will inspire many more of its kind. Here’s hoping that some good will come out of it.