Mahesh Babu, Yash, Ram Charan: Times when South actors spoke about Bollywood

Mahesh Babu recently made a statement at Adivi Sesh's Major trailer launch, which has sparked a debate. When asked about his plans to star in Bollywood films, the actor stated that "Bollywood cannot afford" him. "I may come across as arrogant, but I have received numerous offers in Hindi. However, I believe they cannot afford me. I don’t want to squander any of my time or others. I never considered leaving Telugu cinema or going to other places, because of the fame and love I have here," the superstar was quoted as saying. Later, his team even issued a clarification stating the remark was blown out of proportion. The statement read, "Mahesh has clarified that he loves cinema and respects all languages. He said he is comfortable doing the film where he has been working. Mahesh said he is happy to see his dream coming true as Telugu cinema is going places."

Earlier this year, speaking about how South Indians 'used to' be portrayed in Bollywood, Priyamani had said in an interview with Bollywood Hungama, "There was a time when earlier we had people like Sridevi, Rekha, Hema Malini, & Vyjayanthimala, who ruled Bollywood. And then there was a dearth you know. We have only Hindi-speaking actors in Bollywood and they used to sort of portray South Indians- could be somebody from Chennai or Kerala – they used to portray them as people who used to not speak Hindi in the normal way - ‘Aiyo, kaisa ji, kya bolta ji’. After a point they stopped that and started getting South technicians to Bollywood. And, we saw a surge of a lot of South Indian technicians coming to Bollywood and making their mark successfully. And right now, I’m very happy that finally South talent is also getting recognised here in Bollywood and South stars are also getting their due."

Shruti Haasan, the daughter of megastar Kamal Haasan had once taken a dig at the North-South divide in Bollywood. In an interview with Hindustan Times, Shruti had said, "I honestly have many times felt like an outsider, especially in Bollywood, there is a whole North-South thing that constantly happens. For example, if I’m doing three Telugu films and three Tamil films, they’ll say, ‘Oh, but you’re not focusing on Hindi,’ as if that is the only industry in the country. And it isn’t. So I have always felt like an outsider."

KGF fame Yash recently received a lot of appreciation for his brilliant performance in KGF Chapter 2. Recently, during an interview, when a journalist asked Yash to react to Bollywood superstar Salman Khan's remarks that he wonders why Hindi films aren't working down South but films from South cinema are working in the Hindi belt, Yash had told bollywoodlife.com, "It's not like that. Our films also never used to get this kind of reception, but what is happening from that part of the world, they have started playing dubbed versions here, people became familiar with the content of what we are creating. What worked today is people got familiar with our way of storytelling, our cinema, so it has not happened overnight. That has been there for a few years and eventually, they started understanding the content, the expression of the direction and everything. And then we got a straight instant connect with Baahubali, SS Rajamouli sir, Prabhas they took that initiative followed by KGF- it also entered with a commercial angle." He added, "In our culture, there are a lot of differences, and that should become our strengths rather than becoming our weakness. If they can spend the time and give us, do something relatable, in the end, it is all about relatability, there are lots of films from North that are massive hits. We have watched a lot of films of Hindi stars, we all love them, but the market potential - have they lived up, penetrated it - definitely, there is a huge potential in what I feel and Salman sir is right in that aspect but it isn't that we don't watch, we have been watching them but the thing is may be they should see other aspects also other than just releasing the film - the way you collaborate with people, good distribution, like how we had Excel Entertainment here, they need to come with good production houses there - who can sell the movie and I would like to see that situation where film releases pan India and I hope that happens soon." 

Dhanush was recently seen in the Bollywood film, Atrangi Re starring alongside Akshay Kumar and Sara Ali Khan. He was always very clear and against discrimination between the South and North Indian films. "I was always against (the divide between) south and north Indian films. It is an Indian film and that is how it should always be. We are heading towards that (change) at a very rapid pace. It is very healthy. It is helping all of us with our films, actors, and creative people globally," he had told to PTI in an interview.

Speaking about his plans for a Bollywood debut, Allu Arjun had told PTI in an interview that he is open to the idea of working in a true-blue Bollywood movie provided the project is exciting. "I have got an offer but nothing concrete or exciting. It does take courage; you have to risk it (to work in another industry). When we are the protagonist of the films that we do, anybody who comes to us will only come with the offer to play a protagonist, I would not be interested in anything (else). And it is very well understood. Even the other person will not come and it doesn’t make sense to ask such a big star to play a second role as it damages the film, they also know it. You have to work as a protagonist, as a main lead," Arjun told PTI. 

Ram Charan recently starred in the blockbuster hit RRR. The South superstar recently spoke to a famous publication and reacted to a question about Bollywood superstar Salman Khan's remarks 'wonder why Hindi films don't work down South' after the pan India success of RRR and KGF Chapter 2.  Ram Charan said,  "I want a director from Hindi cinema to make a pan-India film which caters to even the South. Salman (Khan) said, I really love Ram, Rajamouli and Tarak's work but why are our films not being appreciated in the South. It is so candid and honest of him to say that but I believe it is not Salman ji's fault or some film's fault, it is the writing; it is the director who has to transcend these boundaries of 'hamara movie idhar hi dekhenge, hamara movie udhar hi dekhenge'. Every writer should write movies like Vijayendra Prasad (RRR) or Rajamouli and say 'believe in it'." "And of course I want to make an Indian film where I want to work with talent from here (Bollywood), I want directors to explore the talent from South and make bigger films so that we have bigger budgets and we see bigger numbers at the end of the day," Ram Charan added.

Recently, actor Prabhas while in conversation with DNA reacted to Bollywood superstar Salman Khan's comment in which the latter expressed his disappointment at Hindi films not working down South. Expressing what he thinks of Salman's comment, Prabhas said, "War did well in Telugu as far as I know. So, the push that started from Baahubali, now KGF.... maybe Brahmastra is the starting point or before it, something could do well (down South)...we don't know which film goes well because Baahubali, Pushpa or KGF no one thought it would do so well. We thought it was (Baahubali) going to be good, we all tried and it worked. But in future, we are going to see a lot of Indian films from different industries Tamil, Telugu, Punjab."