Behind the Glamour: The Truth About Award Shows in Bollywood

Bollywood has been a place of our emotions since its beginning, as it has presented us with some wonderful cinema over the years. Indian people who are so emotionally driven relate to these movies, which address the sentiments in every possible way, and eventually find a place in our hearts as well.

And in this whole process of presenting a beautiful film, it includes the hard work of every single person who works in front of and in back of the camera. From actors to editors and helpers, every individual involved in film production deserves recognition for their work. Award shows serve as a platform to acknowledge these contributions, often featuring entertaining performances that delight the audience.

However, digging deep into that, award shows are as transparent as they seem like. Industry insiders reveal that awards for mainstream movies are often orchestrated, bargained for, and handed out based on availability, visibility, and personal connections, rather than pure merit.

Star Power Over Skill: Where Availability Equals Victory

The pre-production of all the award shows, above all other things, doesn’t kick off with the discussion of merit, performance, or a particular movie, but instead goes like this: “Which celebrities are available to attend?”

In case a famous actor or actress confirms her availability for the awards show, they are often assured that they will be given that particular award for the role they played in the movie, released that year. This process goes on without even judging if the performance of that particular celebrity in the movie is really award-worthy. The awards have eventually become a token of appreciation to them for attending the event, and also a sort of transactional exchange for publicizing it effectively.

Event organizers prioritize several of their benefits, including visibility, executing sponsorship deals effectively, and hence try to opt for someone who can deliver viral red-carpet moments, and better in delivering an emotional speech while receiving the award, catering to the common people, etc. As mentioned, these visibilities from the celebrities eventually aid in boosting the brand sponsors, social media engagement, and also increase the channel’s reach.

The unfortunate thing is, these profitable aspects are greater than a well-made cinematic achievement. 

A-List Deals and Award Diplomacy

Several cases have come up over the years on celebrities receiving awards based on their clout and not their craft. An actress, known for her talent, reportedly negotiated with a media house to attend their sponsored awards show and won Best Actress for a forgettable film. Her RSVP even included a condition that her actor husband should win Best Actor, despite his polarizing performance.An actress, known for her talent, reportedly negotiated with a media house to attend their sponsored awards show and won Best Actress for a forgettable film. Her RSVP even included a condition that her actor husband should win Best Actor, despite his polarizing performance.

And the twist of the story is, the editor of the media, being a very good friend of the couple, agreed on that. And at what cost? Red carpet photographs of the “power couple,” heartwarming speeches dedicated to each other, and amplified social media content created by fan accounts. Talent and genuine achievement were nowhere in the equation.

When Talent Fails the Algorithm: Manufacturing Awards

There have been tons of instances when a popular face hasn’t been able to deliver well, and award show organizers have a backup plan ready for that. They come up with new types of awards to justify their inclusion, like Most Stylish Icon, Best Social Media Star, or Dance Sensation of the Year, etc. By these seemingly respectable categories, they cannot only urge the famous faces come to the show, but also increase publicity 

Some award shows have allowed absentee winners, often A-listers, to receive awards in exchange for exclusive messages, such as pre-recorded acceptance speeches. This eventually boosts a sense of credibility of the event, and also works as a promotional leverage 

The Unspoken Pact: Awards as Currency

The Bollywood award circuit allegedly functions as a barter system, trading awards for brand tie-ups, performances, or popularity, with little scrutiny of this practice.

Celebrities often make high demands for award shows, including luxury travel, exclusive brands, and personalized services, while also scrutinizing seating arrangements and sometimes requesting early award acceptance to avoid interactions with rivals.

Famous personalities have backed out of award shows at the last hour, fearing mockery or being overshadowed, or due to poor box office performance. One prominent filmmaker canceled hours before an event, citing stress, forcing organizers to scramble and rework the segment.

Why Organizers Stay Silent: The Fear of Retaliation

There’s a reason why the award organizers opt for silence rather than arguing. Not being able to fulfil the demand of the celebrities attending the event can eventually lead them to refuse interviews during the event, not come for promotional appearances, and also leverage their respective PR teams significantly for showcasing negative stories in rival publications. These silent boycotts can eventually bring media houses down, especially those who highly rely on celebrity content to achieve engagement and earn revenue.

Even National Awards Have Their Shadows

The National Film Awards, hosted by the Indian government, are considered one of the few credible award platforms in the industry. But it seems like they are also not completely free from facing scrutiny. In 2005, when Saif Ali Khan won Best Actor for the movie Hum Tum, he faced a little bit of backlash concerning the fact that his mother, Sharmila Tagore, was serving as Chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) — a powerful, government-appointed role.

A Ray of Hope: The Critics’ Awards

Critics’ Choice awards offer a glimmer of hope for merit-based recognition in an industry where credibility often takes a backseat in award shows. These awards, where they exist, typically honor genuine performances overlooked in the mainstream categories.

In 2024, actor Vikrant Massey secured the award for Best Actor, as per the critics’ choice for one of the best movies of the year, 12th Fail, a moving portrayal of the struggles faced by students from underprivileged backgrounds. His acceptance speech, simple yet deeply human, resonated far beyond the walls of the award venue:

“It’s not just us, 12th Fail, that has won — every common man and woman has won with us.”

Behind all the entertainment and, please, that Bollywood has been giving us for long, lies a business mindset, which is predominant in the award shows. However, all of this system which is based on having a well-known Bollywood face have eventually emerged from the public’s interest. But the irony remains in this – despite selling the award shows for the common people, and addressing their interests and entertainment, they are the ones who seek authenticity. 

And on top of that, actors who accept awards that they don’t deserve, eventually put up a question mark on their own complicity. The real prize is now about capturing high-res photos, going viral on social media, and staying relevant online.