Mapping movie genre evolution (1994 – 2019) using the role of cultural and temporal shifts: a thematic analysis

Background: The gratification each person seeks through a movie is different. Sometimes a person would seek information through movies or use them for educational purposes, and some might watch movies to escape into a world of fantasy or humour. Keeping in mind the diverse and ever-changing needs of the audience, the primary objective of this study is to observe the evolution of movie genre and content preference in India, which is one of the largest and culturally intriguing movies producing nation across the globe. Methods: To attain the objective, the researchers have thematically analysed the top five revenue grossing movie genres over a span of 26 years (1994 to 2019) in Bollywood. More than 100 storylines have been analysed to develop genre trend graphs and the results indicate a sharp decline in the popularity of romantic and family dramas, whereas comedy and action movies have witnessed an overall growth with romantic comedies (romcoms), being the most stable amongst the top five. Results: Several societal factors like the changing family structure, education level, access to dating applications and even terrorism have been considered to elucidate the evolving psyche of the audience. The theoretical understanding of the result is derived from the uses and gratification theory, cross culture communication theory, and Bandura’s social cognitive theory. Conclusions: This study would provide film-makers with a guide to understanding the changing movie genre preferences in India, which in turn would help them to produce economically profitable movies in future.