After actors, filmmakers from the South try their luck in Bollywood

From South actors making in-roads into Bollywood to remakes of South films still being hot sell-outs here, it’s easy to see that Bollywood’s affair with South is far from over. 

In all of this, it’s hardly surprising to know that several established South filmmakers too are training their sights on making Bollywood big screen outings.

While filmmakers like Mani Ratnam and Priyadarshan have always maintained a balance between their films in both the industries, there are others who have been showing a growing interest in their foray here.

According to trade watchers, this kind of cross-industry working been on the   rise in the number of filmmakers being roped in here from the South, especially for films that are remakes of South films itself.

Earlier this year, Gautham Menon made a return to Bollywood after long with the remake Ekk Deewana Tha starring Prateik and Amy Jackson. At present, director Susi Ganeshan has been directing Shortcut Romeo with Neil Nitin Mukesh and Ameesha Patel.

Prabhudheva is ready with his next here Rowdy Rathore with Akshay Kumar after his superhit Wanted with Salman Khan. Also buzz is that apparently Ghajini director AR Murugadoss and Bodyguard director Siddique too are in talks with producers here for remakes again.

“Right now South remakes and larger-than-life masala entertainers are still the norm here, so I think it only makes sense to rope in the original directors to direct the remakes as well,” explains trade analyst Komal Nahta.

“Also there’s such an open exchange of talent happening on all fronts. Be it our own actors working there and now our films being remade there or their films still being remade here. Some of the best technicians here are from the South, many actors like Asin, Ileana D’Cruz, Rana Daggubati, et al, are here too, so why not directors?” quips Nahta.

As for dealing with language barriers and the difference in work culture, another insider says that it hardly matters today.  Actor-director Prabhudheva agrees. “For me films are films, doesn’t matter whether I make them in South or in Bollywood. As a director, it’s another platform that I’m getting to tell a story from. As long as audience are getting entertained, Bolly South doesn’t matter,” he’d said.