Tollywood (Telugu), Kollywood (Tamil), Sandalwood (Kannada), and Mollywood (Malayalam) movies are collectively known as South Indian movies, and many of the movies from these regional industries have performed remarkably well in the last few years. On the contrary, Bollywood movies have not done well at the box office in recent times. In 2022, the top three grossing Indian movies were all from the South, these are – RRR (worldwide gross of Rupees 1250 crore), K.G.F. – 2 (worldwide gross of Rupees 1175 crore), and Ponniyin Selvan (worldwide gross of Rupees 500 crore ). So, the question is – have the South Indian movies demolished the dominance of Bollywood? The international success of RRR has triggered the discussion even more profoundly.
Bollywood vs. South Indian movies:
It is not that South Indian movies are winning hearts suddenly. Movies like Roja, Bombay, Shivaji, Robot, Vishwaroopam, etc have done great business in the pan-India market. But, the last 6-7 years have been phenomenal – nobody can deny the fact. So, what has changed recently? Well, there are many. For example, Indian movie audiences generally crave macho heroism and larger-than-life characters – Bollywood seems to be shifting from these characteristics whereas South Indian movie industries not only hold onto these factors but also increasingly glorifying. Bahubali (from Bahubali movies) and Rocky (from K.G.F. movies) are quite clear examples.
Bollywood is producing more and more urban-centric movies like – these movies may cater well to urban people in big cities but audiences from towns, small towns, and villages feel unattached to such films. On the contrary, the plot and concept of recent South Indian films are such that they are well received by audiences from small cities, towns, and villages alike – these people constitute a substantial part of the Indian movie audience, nowadays. So, for the South Indian film industries, a large segment of revenue comes from tier-2 cities and towns across India.
The dubbing industry has improved significantly. So language is not a barrier, now. That’s why, in 2022, South Indian movies like RRR, K.G.F. 2, Ponniyin Selvan, etc have achieved pan-India success. Why would someone go to watch a remake in Bollywood when he/she can simply watch the original movie in his/her language? Superhit films like Ghazini, Bodyguard, and Rowdy Rathore would not have worked if these films had been released a few years ago.
What's next?:
In 2022, among the top 10-grossing Indian movies, 6 were from South India; whereas in 2023, 3 South Indian movies (Salaar, Leo, and Jailer) were there in the top 10 grossing Indian movies list. Let’s see how this year goes for the South Indian films. In the past few years, the hype surrounding South Indian movies has been so high that they may struggle to keep us with it.
On the other hand, for Bollywood, the trend seems to be upward. Yes, the charm of Bollywood movies may have faded somewhat, but this might be just a temporary phase. The blockbuster movie Pathaan (2023) has not only invigorated Yash Raj Films but also Bollywood.
In the movie Alpha, YRF will introduce two female lead spy characters – something India has not seen before on the silver screen. So, it can be said that Bollywood still has pioneering capability.
In conclusion, it is fair to say that South Indian movies have shattered the myth that Bollywood is the unbeatable giant among the Indian film industries. But, to say that South Indian films have overtaken Bollywood movies would be an overstatement. Competition brings out the best. Hence, by competing with each other, every Indian film industry should improve the quality of movies. In this process, it is India who will be the true winner.
