The Rise of Pan-India Films
The term “pan-India film” became widely recognized after the extraordinary success of Baahubali (2015). Before Baahubali, very few films managed to break language barriers and appeal to audiences nationwide. While Bollywood films often enjoyed moderate success in South India, they never became mainstream phenomena there.
After Baahubali, the film industry saw a shift. Big-budget South Indian films started being made with a broader audience in mind, ensuring simultaneous releases in multiple languages, including Hindi. This trend continued with KGF: Chapter 1 & 2, Pushpa: The Rise, RRR, Leo, and Salaar, which enjoyed immense box office success across India. However, the reverse never happened—Bollywood films still struggle to find takers in South India.
Salman Khan’s Perspective on Bollywood’s Struggles
Salman Khan, one of Bollywood’s biggest stars, highlighted this issue in a recent interview. He pointed out that Bollywood audiences regularly watch South Indian films, but the same enthusiasm is not seen when it comes to South Indian audiences watching Hindi films. He believes that this is a key reason why Bollywood struggles to become truly pan-India.
"We watch Rajinikanth and Chiranjeevi’s films, but their fans don’t watch ours. That’s the difference," Salman said. He suggested that Hindi films are not able to penetrate the southern market because South Indian audiences have a strong emotional and cultural connection with their own industries. While Hindi-dubbed versions of South films do well in the North, the reverse is not true for Bollywood films in the South.
Cultural and Linguistic Barriers
One major factor that contributes to this disparity is the deep-rooted linguistic and cultural differences between the North and South Indian film industries. Bollywood films, for the most part, are centered around Hindi-speaking audiences. South Indian cinema, however, is more regionally rooted, with films made in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam.
When South Indian films are dubbed into Hindi, they often retain their core storytelling, action-packed sequences, and mass appeal, which resonate well with audiences in North India. On the other hand, when Bollywood films are dubbed into Tamil, Telugu, or Kannada, they don’t seem to have the same level of relatability or mass appeal.
Many South Indian audiences also prefer watching movies in their native language, which limits Bollywood's reach in these states. Unlike Hindi-speaking regions, where South Indian dubbed films are accepted, South audiences do not embrace Bollywood films as part of their mainstream cinema experience.
The Influence of South Indian Superstars
Another reason why Bollywood films struggle in the South is the dominance of regional superstars. Actors like Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Vijay, Ajith, Mahesh Babu, Allu Arjun, Jr. NTR, and Yash enjoy a level of fan following that is unmatched. Their films often become massive events, with fans celebrating new releases as grand spectacles.
These stars have deep connections with their audience, and their films reflect regional sensibilities, traditions, and storytelling styles. Bollywood actors, on the other hand, don’t command the same kind of loyalty in the South. While Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, and Aamir Khan are widely recognized names, their films don’t create the same level of frenzy in South Indian states as they do in North India.
The South Indian Film Industry’s Aggressive Expansion
One of the key reasons why South films have dominated the national scene is their aggressive approach to pan-India marketing. Production houses from South India have invested heavily in dubbing, promotions, and creating content that appeals to a wider audience.
For example, Baahubali was meticulously planned as a pan-India project from the start, with significant effort put into making it visually grand and universally appealing. The makers ensured that the Hindi version had strong voice dubbing, Bollywood promotions, and familiar faces like Rana Daggubati and Tamannaah Bhatia to attract North Indian audiences.
Similarly, films like KGF, Pushpa, and RRR were marketed as larger-than-life cinematic experiences. Their grand scale, action-packed sequences, and gripping narratives appealed to audiences beyond their home states.
Bollywood, on the other hand, has not taken a similar approach. Most Hindi films are still made with a Hindi-speaking audience in mind, with little effort to make them relevant to South Indian viewers. The lack of major Bollywood films being released simultaneously in South Indian languages has also contributed to this imbalance.
Bollywood’s Attempts to Break into the South
Despite these challenges, Bollywood has tried to break into the South Indian market multiple times. Several Hindi films have been released in Tamil and Telugu versions, but they have largely failed to make an impact.
For example, Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha (2022) was dubbed in Tamil and Telugu, but it did not find a significant audience. Even highly anticipated films like Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan and Salman Khan’s Tiger 3 did not perform as well in South India as they did in the Hindi belt.
Bollywood has also attempted collaborations with South Indian actors and directors to attract a wider audience. Films like Brahmāstra, which featured Telugu superstar Nagarjuna, and Jawan, which had Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi, were made with a pan-India appeal in mind. While Jawan did relatively well in South India, it still did not reach the level of success that South films enjoy in the North.
The Road Ahead for Bollywood
For Bollywood to truly become pan-India, it needs to adopt a more inclusive approach. Filmmakers must focus on storytelling that resonates with audiences beyond the Hindi-speaking belt. Instead of just dubbing films into other languages, Bollywood should actively collaborate with South Indian talent, invest in high-quality dubbing, and market their films aggressively across India.
Additionally, Bollywood can learn from South Indian filmmakers who focus on strong scripts, larger-than-life action, and universally appealing themes. Instead of catering only to the urban multiplex audience, Bollywood needs to create content that appeals to mass audiences across the country.
Another important aspect is the theatrical experience. South Indian films thrive on grand visual spectacles, stunning cinematography, and powerful storytelling that demands a big-screen experience. Bollywood films need to bring back that cinematic grandeur to attract audiences nationwide.
Salman Khan’s comments about Bollywood’s struggle to become truly pan-India highlight a critical issue in the industry. While South Indian films have successfully crossed over into the Hindi market, Bollywood films have failed to find a similar reception in the South. The reasons range from cultural differences and strong regional identities to a lack of aggressive marketing and pan-India appeal.
For Bollywood to truly expand its reach, it must rethink its storytelling approach, embrace regional collaborations, and invest in making films that appeal to audiences across India. Until then, the dominance of South Indian cinema in the pan-India space is likely to continue.