Will South Indian Movies & Stars Take Over Bollywood Soon

In recent times, the craze for south Indian movies has crossed sky limits. There was a time when south movies remained confined to the southern states and were later dubbed in Hindi to release on small screens. 

However, things have altered now! Big budget movies are being simultaneously released in multiple languages including Hindi. Movie lovers in the north region are widely appreciating the movies for their captivating storyline, actions, VFX, actors, etc. 

Considering such scenarios, the gossip in the industry has gained momentum that soon south Indian movies and actors will take over Bollywood. Here we bring in some strong and relevant evidence that certainly supports the gossip.

Telugu-origin movie Pushpa: The Rise, starring Tollywood Icon Star Allu Arjun, bagged the prestigious  ‘Film Of The Year’ award at the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival 2022 on February 20. With Pushpa, the Telugu actor has grabbed the eyeballs of movie lovers across the world including several celebrities. It is believed that like Prabhas, Ram Charan, Siddharth, and Naga Chaitanya in the present generation, Allu Arjun will be soon making his debut in Bollywood.

Congratulations to 'Pushpa: The Rise' for winning the award for Film Of The Year at Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards2022. Your hard work and perseverance have paid off. #dpiff #dpiff2022 #dpiffawards #dpiffdiaries #dpiffglimpse #dpifflegacy #dpiffawards2022 pic.twitter.com/XSIKCYa23T

— Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival (@Dpiff_official) February 20, 2022

In the past, Indian cinema had witnessed several south actors foraying into the B Town with hopes of entertaining the audience on a larger canvas. While some succeeded, some couldn't. Actors like Rajinikanth, Kamal Hassan, Chiranjeevi and Nagarjuna were among others who left their footprints in Bollywood. And now, the younger generation actors are trying their luck to reach a larger audience through official Hindi- dubbed movies which are ultimately making their way for a larger viewership. 

In recent years, south actors like Prabhas and Yash have created their fandom across the world. While Baahubali series still gives goose bumps to many, eagerness among movie lovers for KGF: Chapter 2 has crossed the sky limits. Darling Prabhas' Baahubali went on to become India's biggest box office smash-hit and the only non-English film to be played at Royal Albert Hall. Meanwhile, Yash starrer KGF Chapter 2, helmed by Prashanth Neel is the most anticipated movie of the year. The teaser itself on YouTube has broken several global records till date and the journey is on.

On the other hand, though Mega Power Star (Ram) failed to impress the north audience in 2013 with 'Zanjeer', which was a remake of Millennium Star Amitabh Bachchan's 1973 classic, he is prepping up for a blockbuster comeback with magnum-opus RRR, helmed by south ace director and Baahubali helmer SS Rajamouli. It is expected that Ram will 'Roar' with more enthusiasm this time and create a long-lasting impression.

There are several other actors from the south industries who have also left their marks in Bollywood. 

What captivates the audience is larger-than-life stories, character portrayals, action sequences, high-end VFX, et al. 

Meanwhile, in these few years, movie lovers have witnessed that Bollywood movies have lost the originality that used to be before the 90s. Makers and lead actors in the B Town now prefer to remake south blockbusters. 

Be it Salman Khan's Tere Naam, Wanted, Ready, Bodyguard and Kick or Shah Rukh Khan and Irrfan Khan's Billu or Aamir Khan's Ghajini or Akshay Kumar's Bhul Bhullaiya, Rowdy Rathore, Housefull 2, Mr. & Mrs. Khiladi, or Ajay Devgn's Singham and Son Of Sardar, the list is quite long. Even Amitabh Bachchan's Sooryavansham is a remake of Suryavamsam.

Though these are official remakes of south Indian movies made by the A-listed actors in Bollywood, questions are raised over the authenticity of the story plot. Are the Bollywood makers not finding original story writers like Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar duo or Gulzar? 

Be it Bollywood or any other movie industry, there are several talented writers across India with creative thoughts who can pen down original scripts. However, certain makers don't prefer giving a chance to newcomers. Doing a remake seems to be the safer side for the makers. Even there are several other movies from the south which are in a row to be remade in Hindi. 

Earlier, media and technical constraints refrained movie lovers from accessing the movies in other languages. With the technical advancements and modern-day improvisations, people in the north are able to watch movies with subtitles or in Hindi-dubbed versions.

If this continues for a longer time, then movie lovers will prefer watching south movies and the south movie makers will release their movies pan-India in different languages. The success of original movies like Baahubali, KGF: Chapter 1, and Pushpa: The Rise have proven it. And the anticipation for RRR, KGF: Chapter 2 and Pushpa:  The Rule and Liger clearly drives home the point. 

The pandemic era has hit the entertainment industry hard in the country. However, south makers are stealing the limelight. Under such circumstances, it can be said that soon the south industry and the actors will take over Bollywood rendering the Hindi actors 'jobless'. Once the craze for present A-listed actors of Bollywood starts waning, the talented, dynamic and hardworking actors from the south will start ruling Bollywood.