South Indian Films vs Bollywood: The Battle of 2024

Bollywood remains the dominant force in the Indian film industry, but South Indian films are not far behind, as they showcase the regional variety to the global audience. And this year, South Indian cinema is challenging Bollywood like never before, with its regional variety of Indian cinema

By Geeta Singh

• Bollywood had a mixed bag of films in 2023, with some creating history and others losing money
• ‘Jawan’ and ‘Pathaan’ were the biggest hits, while ‘RRKPK’, ‘Ganpath’, and ‘Adipurush’ were the biggest duds
• Bollywood’s box office collection was slightly higher in 2023 than the previous year, industry is seeing some trends and changes
• The South Indian film industry has overtaken Bollywood in prominence, and has attracted investments from international studios

THE year 2023 ended with a bang, as two of the biggest stars of Indian cinema, Shah Rukh Khan and Prabhas, faced off at the box office with their respective films, ‘Dunki’ and ‘Salaar: Part One- Ceasefire’. The result was a one-sided affair, as ‘Salaar’, which was released on December 22, became the highest-grossing film of the year, breaking the records of several other films. Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Dunki’, which came out a day before ‘Salaar’, could only rake in Rs 30 crore on its opening day. Prabhas’ film surpassed the opening day collections of Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Jawan’ and ‘Pathaan’, Salman Khan’s ‘Tiger 3’ and Ranbir Kapoor’s ‘Animal’, making it the top opener of the year. ‘Pathaan’ had collected Rs 57 crore on its opening day and ‘Jawan’ had made about Rs 89.5 crore on its first day. Sacnilk.com, a site that monitors the trade of film industry, reported that the film minted over 148 crores in the first two days across all languages.

BOLLYWOOD HIGHLIGHTS OF 2023

Overall, Bollywood had a mixed bag of films in 2023, with some creating history and others losing money. Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Jawan’ directed by Atlee Kumar (best known for his work in Tamil films), grossed over ₹1,148.32 crore (US$140 million) worldwide. His other blockbuster, ‘Pathaan’, grossed over ₹1,050.30 crore (US$130 million) worldwide. Ranbir Kapoor’s ‘Animal’, Sunny Deol’s ‘Gadar-2’, Salman Khan’s ‘Tiger 3’, Ayushmann Khurrana’s ‘Dream Girl 2’, and ‘Fukrey 3’ were other hits of the year. However, not all films performed well at the box office. Some of the biggest duds and disasters of the year were ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’ (RRKPK), ‘Ganpath’, and ‘Adipurush’. RRKPK, starring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt, was a romantic comedy directed by Karan Johar. The film, made with a budget of 180 crores, earned only 130 crores, making it a flop. ‘Ganpath’ starring Tiger Shroff and Kriti Sanon, had a huge budget of 125 crores but earned just 12.85 crores, making it a disaster. ‘Adipurush’, starring Prabhas and Saif Ali Khan, was a mythological epic directed by Om Raut. The film, with a budget of 500 crores, earned only 167.58 crores in Hindi, making it a super flop.

HOLLYWOOD MOVIES : A DISAPPOINTING SHOW

Hollywood movies released in India also failed to impress the audience. ‘The Marvels’, starring Brie Larson and Teyonah Parris, was a superhero film from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film, which had a budget of 2249 crores, earned only 11.04 crores in India, making it a flop. ‘Indiana Jones 5’, starring Harrison Ford and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, was an adventure film from the ‘Indiana Jones’ franchise. The film, which had a budget of 2422 crores, earned only 10.61 crores in India, making it a flop.

TRENDS OF BOLLYWOOD

The total box office collection of Bollywood in 2023 was estimated to be around Rs 24,400 crore, which was slightly higher than the previous year. The year also saw some trends and changes in the industry, such as the rise of OTT platforms, the emergence of new talents, and the revival of old genres. As Bollywood prepares to enter 2024, it hopes to keep up the momentum and deliver more entertaining and engaging films to the audience. But South Indian films pose a formidable challenge to Bollywood productions in terms of box office performance.

A TOUGH COMPETITION

The South Indian film industry has overtaken Bollywood in prominence, fueled by the global success of movies like ‘Pushpa’, ‘RRR’, ‘Kantara’ and ‘KGF Chapter 2’. This triumph has attracted significant investments from international studios, signalling a shift in momentum that appears less favourable for the Hindi film industry. The success of films like ‘RRR’ and ‘KGF Chapter 2’ in their Hindi-dubbed versions, earning Rs 435 crore and Rs 265 crore respectively, underscores the growing appeal of South Indian cinema.

Tamil superstar Chiyaan Vikram has announced his Pan India film ‘Thangaalan’ opposite Hrithik Roshan’s film ‘Fighter’, which is releasing on 26th January. Malayalam superstar Mohanlal’s film ‘Malaikottai Vaaliban’ will also be released on that weekend. After this, Bollywood’s ambitious film ‘Bade Miyan Chote Miyan’ will be released on Eid weekend. Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff are in the lead roles in this film. At the same time, Telugu superstar Junior NTR’s film ‘Devara’ will be released opposite it. Whereas on Independence Day weekend, ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’, the sequel of Allu Arjun’s superhit film, will compete with Ajay Devgan’s superhit ‘Singam Again’. Apart from these, many prominent South films will be released pan India. (see box).

DOMINANCE OF SOUTH INDIAN MOVIES

The Hindi film industry, with its marquee production houses, megastars and marketing prowess, is proving to be a feeble competitor to the southern juggernaut. A CII South Media & Entertainment report says 62 per cent of the all-India box office collections of movies in the last three years came from south Indian films. And this trend is getting stronger. According to estimates, KGF: Chapter 2, the Kannada action movie, garnered Rs 435 crore in its Hindi-dubbed version, while the dubbed versions of RRR and Pushpa: The Rise Part-1 raked in Rs 265 crore and Rs 106 crore, respectively.

In recent years, there has been a noticeable shift in the Indian film industry’s landscape. South Indian cinema, particularly the film industries in states like Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka, and Kerala, has gained prominence. South Indian films, often made in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada languages, have started to attract a broader audience not only within South India but also nationally and internationally.

Bollywood, which has been wooing multiplex audiences over the past few years, has seen the single-screen audiences—who comprise the bulk of moviegoers in India—rush to theatres across the country to watch these south Indian action films. All the recent analysis of the South Indian film industry giving Bollywood a run for its money ignores a vital statistic—the South Bloc comprising Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam film industries has always been a prolific and profitable ecosystem unto itself. Supported by a vast network of single screens, enthusiastic viewers and popular film stars, South Indian cinema has always been a rather robust entity despite the craze around Bollywood films. It is for this reason that South Indian cinema has not merely survived, but actually thrived.

Bollywood has been losing to South cinema in terms of box-office collection, due to various reasons. Some of them are poor content, the fall of single-screen theatres, entertainment tax on Hindi movies, demographic differences and the popularity of digital streaming platforms

FACTORS BEHIND THE GROWING POPULARITY

Several factors contribute to the rising influence of South Indian cinema. One key aspect is the increased accessibility of films through digital platforms, allowing audiences to explore and appreciate content from different regions of India. South Indian films are often lauded for their innovative storytelling, strong scripts, and technical excellence, contributing to their growing popularity. Furthermore, South Indian actors and directors have begun to make a mark on the national stage, earning recognition and acclaim beyond their regional boundaries. The success of films like ‘Baahubali’ series (Telugu), ‘KGF’ series (Kannada), and ‘Kaithi’ (Tamil) has demonstrated the potential of South Indian cinema to compete on a global scale. There was a clear distinction between the cinema of North and South India in the 2000s, but now it is becoming less noticeable. The gap has been shrinking over the past decade, and soon it will be difficult to identify the origin of the films. India’s entertainment industry is experiencing a dramatic transformation due to the multiplex craze and the merging of languages. Blockbuster films like Leo, KGF 2, Jailer and Salaar have given Telugu and Tamil films an edge over Bollywood and made them the representative of Indian cinema in America and Malaysia. These films are also earning crores of rupees in UAE, Australia, Netherlands and Singapore.

REASONS BEHIND BOLLYWOOD’S LOSS

Bollywood has been losing to South cinema in terms of box-office collection, due to various reasons. Some of them are poor content, the fall of single-screen theatres, entertainment tax on Hindi movies, demographic differences and the popularity of digital streaming platforms. Another major factor that affects the Hindi film industry is increasing nepotism, as star kids fail to attract and retain fans. Like last year, 2024 will also see the debut of many new star kids. (see box)

South Indian films have raised the bar in terms of the technical aspects of filmmaking, such as cinematography, editing, music, sound, and visual effects. They have invested in the latest technology and equipment, and have collaborated with some of the best technicians and artists in the industry. These films have also showcased some of the most spectacular and breathtaking action sequences, stunts, and chase scenes, which have impressed and thrilled the audience.

Rajnikant’s movie ‘Jailer’ dominated the regional language market in the third quarter. According to the data available in the investor presentation of PVR INOX, Jailer’s India GBOC (gross box office collections) was at ₹393.7 crore. Other movies from South, like ‘Kushi’ and actor Pawan Kalyan’s ‘Bro’ (both in Telugu) reached a GBOC of ₹78.1 crore and ₹92.2 crore, respectively, during the period.

BLURRING OF BOUNDARIES

Bollywood and South Indian films had a wide gap that seemed unbridgeable for decades, but the recent nationwide success of Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam films has gradually started to fill it. The Hindi film industry and the southern regional film industries have been remaking each other’s successful films since the black-and-white era. However, their dubbed films have rarely attracted audiences in theatres.

A shift is occurring as Hindi audiences are now embracing South Indian cinema for its raw energy, innovative plots, grandeur, and well-executed formulas. Over the past 15 years, even as single-screen theatres in North India faced challenges with the rise of multiplexes, they continued to showcase dubbed versions of these ‘South action films.’ The economical print costs were advantageous, ensuring audience engagement. Furthermore, the rise of OTT platforms has facilitated the easy accessibility of South films to viewers in North India.

It was previously believed that cultural differences between North and South India impeded their films from creating a uniform impression across the country. Additionally, none of the veteran actors from the South, such as Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Mohanlal, and Mammootty, could attain national-level superstardom. However, the situation is evolving. Actors like Prabhas, Allu Arjun, Ram Charan, Mahesh Babu, and Vijay now boast fans nationwide, extending beyond the southern states. Remarkably, Vijay, Mahesh Babu, and Allu Arjun have not featured in a single Bollywood film, yet they have garnered a fanbase in North India as well.

EMERGENCE OF THE ‘INDIAN FILM INDUSTRY’

Bollywood lags behind the popularity of south Indian films that are dubbed and shown in the Hindi belt. S S Rajamouli is the director who broke into Bollywood’s stronghold and announced a new era with the ‘Baahubali series’ and ‘RRR’. He displayed such a spectacle of technology, style and grandeur that he achieved success in the Hindi belt that no recent Hindi film has achieved. Allu Arjun’s ‘Pushpa: The Rise’ ran successfully in UP and Bihar territories. In all fairness, last year belonged to the Kannada film industry. KGF Chapter 2 and Kantara were two of the biggest blockbusters not just in Sandalwood but across film industries.

It was a silent but long, steady march into the Hindi heartland, not a ‘sudden revolution’ the way it is being projected. The best thing to emerge from the changing landscape is the rise of the ‘Indian film’. Today, Allu Arjun’s Pushpa is as much a Hindi film as Shah Rukh’s Pathaan in Telugu. While Bollywood remains a powerhouse in the Indian film industry, the increasing recognition and success of South Indian cinema signal a dynamic shift in the industry’s landscape, with diverse regional industries contributing to the rich tapestry of Indian cinema. This trend reflects a broader movement toward appreciating the cultural diversity and storytelling prowess present across the entire Indian film industry.

NEWCOMERS : STAR KIDS TO WATCH IN 2024

The year 2023 saw the launch of several star kids in Bollywood, such as Shahrukh Khan’s daughter Suhana Khan, Salman Khan’s niece Alizeh Agnihotri, Amitabh Bachchan’s grandson Agastya Nanda, Sunny Deol’s younger son Rajveer Deol, Poonam Dhillon’s daughter Pamela Dhillon, and Boney Kapoor’s daughter Khushi Kapoor. The trend is likely to continue in 2024, as more star kids are ready to debut in the Hindi film industry