South filmmakers are going all out with their creativity as well as budgets and eyeing Bollywood superstars to bring that pan-India appeal to their movies
While South superstars, right from Rajinikanth to Kamal Haasan and Mohanlal to Mammootty, have forayed into Hindi cinema at regular intervals, one can’t say the same about their Bollywood counterparts, who hitherto shied away from stepping into South cinema. Though they embraced South movies and happily did their Hindi remakes, B-Town stars were not gung-ho about crossing over.
But after the Telugu epic drama Baahubali (2015) and its sequel (2017), which were dubbed in Hindi and went on to become blockbusters that appealed to audiences across the country, the lines have blurred. South filmmakers are going all out with their creativity as well as budgets and eyeing Bollywood superstars to bring that pan-India appeal to their movies. Actors are also welcoming it. Last year, Akshay Kumar was the first to cross over with the Rajinikanth-starrer 2.0 that marked his debut in Tamil films. Now, several A-listers are poised to make the transition.
1. Alia Bhatt
)
One of the most successful actresses of B-Town, this powerhouse performer is known to take risks when it comes to her career choices. Now, Alia Bhatt is all set to foray into South cinema with Baahubali director SS Rajamouli’s Telugu period drama, RRR co-starring NTR Jr and Ram Charan. The actress has already started prepping for it. She told this paper that she is learning Telugu. “It is tough, but I think I will be good at it. I am having fun,” she said.
2. Ajay Devgn
)
Reportedly, Ajay Devgn was initially skeptical about signing the film, but he found the script exciting and despite his role being small — it’s an extended cameo — he agreed. The actor-filmmaker plays a Delhi-based freedom fighter in RRR. Interestingly, this is not the superstar’s first collaboration with Rajamouli. In his earlier movie Eega (2012), which was dubbed in Hindi as Makkhi, Ajay had given a voiceover along with wife Kajol. One of the dialogues even had a reference to his famous dialogue from Singham — aata majhi satakli.
3. Amitabh Bachchan
)
The legend of Hindi cinema is making his Tamil debut with Uyarntha Manithan co-starring actor-filmmaker SJ Suryah. Big B has already started shooting for it. Recently, Suryah shared Bachchan’s look from the film, where he is clad in a dhoti with a golden border, a red gamcha and round rimmed spectacles. Though the Tamil-Hindi bilingual will see Big B speaking mostly in Hindi, on his insistence he will say a few lines in Tamil, too!
4. Kangana Ranaut
)
After Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi, in which she played the titular role, Kangana Ranaut is all set to play another real-life personality. She is stepping into the shoes of former actress and ex Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa in the Tamil-Hindi bilingual — Thalaivi (Tamil) and Jaya (Hindi). The Queen actress is reportedly being paid Rs 24 crore for the biopic. The talented actress is determined to dub in her own voice in Tamil for which she has started learning the language and will also undergo a month-long workshop.
5. Shraddha Kapoor
)
After Prabhas became a national hero with Baahubali, the makers of his next, Saaho, wanted a Bollywood heroine opposite him to appeal to a pan-India audience. They zeroed in on Shraddha Kapoor and the futuristic film is being made in three languages — Telugu, Tamil and Hindi. Recently, a romantic picture of Prabhas and Shraddha was leaked on social media. The two not only make for a good pair but they also share good chemistry.
6. Vidya Balan
)
Early this year, Vidya Balan made her Telugu debut with the biopic NTR Kathanaykudu in which she played NTR’s wife Basavatarakam. She impressed audiences with her performance as the strong-headed woman who stood by her Telugu superstar and politician husband. Now, the Tumhari Sulu actress is all set to make her Tamil debut with the remake of Pink (2016) in which she will have a special appearance.
