In the 1990s when young Hollywood executives had to take production decision many of them simply asked one question – which genre shelf would the film’s video cassette go on in a store?   Like Hollywood, Hindi cinema, too, might have been slotted on the basis of labels such as commercial, art or middle but in the end, the reach of a particular film overrode all other parameters.   The parallel cinema of the 1970s might have created some of India’s greatest ever films but the fact that it had a ‘limited’ reach when compared to the mainstream films like the ones directed by Manmohan Desai during the same period ensured the former was never a priority for the trade.  
  Middle cinema such as Rajnigandha (1974), Chhoti Si Baat (19750 and Baaton Baaton Mein (1979) broke this hoodoo but it ran out of steam when doyens like Basu Chatterjee and Hrishikesh Mukherjee reduced their output.   The real breakthrough vis-à-vis trade and meeting of the popular and parallel in Hindi films arrived when ‘New Cinema’ came into its own in the mid-2000s.   Unlike the Parallel or the indie cinema of the late 1990s (Nagesh Kukunoor’s Hyderabad Blues (1998), Kaizad Gustad’s Bombay Boys (1998), New Cinema had more than just the trade and filmmakers meeting at a common point.   It was also perhaps the only clear instance in Hindi cinema where a new audience emerged and wanted something more than just escapist ‘Bollywood’ or Hollywood inspired adaptations or ‘remakes.’  
  A new crop of filmmakers like Anurag Kashyap, Dibakar Banerjee, Chaudhary, Rajat Kapoor and Navdeep Singh answered this call. This generation of filmmakers grew on a staple diet of the Parallel and Middle cinema of the 1980s but also equally loved the typical Hindi films ranging from Dacait (1987), Loha (1987), Shiva (1989), Raakh(1989), Parinda (1989), Kaalchakra (1988) and also devoured world cinema.   This was the generation that could think local and act global but more importantly, they found their audience even before they had truly set foot in the main scheme of things. Although it never released theatrically owing to trouble with the censors, the viewer was more than aware of Anurag Kashyap even before his debut Paanch (2003) was ready for release.   Similarly, the moment Dibakar Banerjee’s Khosla Ka Ghosla (2006), an independent venture through it’s making till UTV came on board a little before its release, hit the screens he had found his audience. The Internet boom had exposed a new segment of the audience to cinemas of the world and it was this audience that had not been won over full by ‘Bollywood’ or the other side.  
  Besides Khosla Ka Ghosla 2006 also saw the release of Rajat Kapoor’s Mixed Doubles (2006), Kabir Khan’s Kabul Express (2006), Nagesh Kukunoor’s Dor Loha (2006), Saket Chaudhury’s Pyar ke Side Effects (2006) and Onir’s Bas Ek Pal (2006) that announced the arrival of New Cinema.   These films attracted mainstream actors, were produced by regular mainstream production houses, Kabul Express had the biggest Hindi film production Yash Raj Films behind it and did not rely on typical pegs such as stars or songs to connect with the audiences.   Even with off the beaten track themes, Kapoor’s Mixed Doubles was about a middle-class Mumbai couple (Ranvir Shorey and Konkona Sen Sharma) exploring swapping, they struck a chord with the audience and made a nifty profit as well.   The next year saw Manorama Six Feet Under (2007), Bheja Fry (2007), No Smoking (2007), Anwar (2007), Ek Challis Ki Last Local (2007), and Johnny Gaddar(2007). With its impact being felt on the mainstream as well - Vishal’s Omkara (2006) breaking the pattern of big budget action dramas and Ram Gopal Verma produced Darna Zaroori Hai (2006) with stars like Amitabh Bachchan cast in a series of six short films directed by different directors, it seemed that New Cinema could transform Hindi cinema.   The trade probably became interested in them as the return on investment appeared higher than standard Bollywood fare and it also opened up an entirely new audience segment that could be tapped into.   Between 2008 and 2010 New Cinema showed its best with Rock On!! (2008), A Wednesday (2008), Aamir (2008), Dev. D (2009), Rocket Singh- Salesman of the Year (2009), Luck By Chance(2009), Peepli [Live] (2010), Udaan (2010), LSD: Love, Sex, Dhokha (2010), G**du (2010), Phas Gaye Re Obama (2010), Ishqiya (2010), Dhobi Ghat (2010) and Shor In the City (2012).   The way things were going it seemed like New Cinema was here to stay. It was different from middle cinema because it showed the potential of becoming an integral part of the mainstay.  
  It began to attract stars as well and bigger budgets along with more artistic freedom than the filmmaker could imagine. Kahaani (2012) and Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) represented what New Cinema could achieve – the former was a return to form for Sujoy Ghosh following the disastrous big-budget outing Aladdin(2009) and ushered a new phase for the women-centric film and the latter was an epic spanning across generations blessed with a great budget and yet retaining its indie flavour.   But the carte blanche also became New Cinema’s undoing, for now, this variety became mainstream and along with that somewhere, the edginess dissipated. Dibakar Banerjee’s Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! (2015) and Anurag Kashyap’s Bombay Velvet, reportedly a Rs 120 crore production, had everything going for them yet lacked the passion that their earlier films displayed.   The two also failed to connect even with their die-hard believers. To this writer, Vicky Donor (2012) would have been considered New Cinema had it come a few years earlier and viewing it as mainstream gives one an idea of how the genre has merged with the mainstream.   Between the mid-2000s and now, New Cinema got a shot in the arm with a Ship of Theseus (2012) and a Lunchbox (2013) yet both the films appeared more niche than the genre’s standard definition. One would like to see a resurgence of New Cinema but even if that happens it won’t be the way we know it.
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