After Pushpa success, should Bollywood be wary of box office clash with South Indian films?

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Allu Arjun's Pushpa: The Rise was strictly meant for the South markets until it earned Rs 100 crore for the Hindi version. It is still difficult to wrap one's mind around this fact. Even after premiering on OTT, its successful theatrical run went well over two months. Pushpa not only braved the Spider-Man: No Way Home dominance at the ticket window (collections of Rs 200 crore and above in India) but severely dented the box office prospects of Ranveer Singh starrer cricket World Cup epic '83. Shortly after this, news came that Laal Singh Chaddha, which was affirmed to clash with much-awaited KGF: Chapter 2, has pushed back the release date by three months citing delays.

Opinions on Twitter had earlier suggested that the Yash-starrer sequel would stand tall against Aamir Khan's Hollywood adaptation. With this clash conveniently averted, such voices only amplified. Meanwhile, other pan-India films like RRR (Ram Charan and Jr NTR), Liger (Vijay Deverakonda) and Adipurush (Prabhas) will enjoy an unopposed initial theatrical run. So, has there been any change in the mindset of the movie-makers in Bollywood and South film industry when it comes to theatrical clashes, which were very common in the past? Is the audience opening up to regional content more and more a warning sign for Hindi films? Stakeholders weigh in.

Theatrical clash not a worry for South films: Producers

If not a sign of worry, Pushpa's nationwide success is definitely a wake-up call for Bollywood moviemakers. The business of said pan-India films will pave the way for the future of cinema viewing, which is already reeling under COVID-19 losses. With the spot ripe for the taking, it's not long before the real players stand tall while others perish.    

Hiren Gada, CEO, Shemaroo Entertainment, puts forward the argument that Hollywood and South films are unafraid of direct clashes with Bollywood films as they rely on their 'quality'. "South Indian films have started to churn out movies which now appeal to pan-India audiences with the entertainment quotient being top-notch. The constant buzz and anticipation of such content have made the producers confident enough to not worry about the release dates of Hindi Cinema. Some Hindi movie makers are compelled to relook at their content strategy looking at the success the Southern industry is enjoying," he says. 

Manoj Dass, Vice President, 2D Entertainment, says, "If the content is good South films can compete anywhere. Our recent release Jai Bhim is one such example, it was released on Prime Video in 5 languages and the response was overwhelming. Jai Bhim has been recognised and lauded all over the world and is now making its way to international film festivals globally. This goes to show that a good story will travel across borders irrespective of its origin or language. India is a huge market and it is open for all kinds of talents. If the storytelling is good and word of mouth works, penetration into any market is easy." 

Baahubali, KGF: Chapter 1, Pushpa: Popularity of South films on the rise

Hindi dubbed versions of South films are very popular on satellite TV and YouTube. They are loaded with 'masala' entertainment, song and dance and action sequences not less in any measure when compared with Hindi films in similar genres. After Baahubali's success, the north markets have become more and more receptive to Southern cinema. 

Film Producer and business expert Girish Johar says, "The market for South industry is increasing with each film's release. Their commercial storytelling is being loved by the Hindi audiences. This is an upward trend and the popularity of the South stars is also on the rise. It is a huge benefit for them. The planning to target the North markets began with Baahubali's release. It is only now that they are reaping benefits." 

Gada says, "The success of Baahubali propelled the audiences’ cinema viewing behaviour. They have also started consuming South Indian cinema in theatres which was restricted to TV before. KGF and Pushpa are prime examples that dubbed version of South films have many takers in the North."

Factoring in OTT and COVID-19 lockdowns

During the COVID-19 pandemic, regional cinema has been consumed a lot on OTT. Suriya, Samantha and Fahadh Fasil are some of the names on everyone's mind when talking of quality content from South India. Their films and others too became immensely popular, cutting across boundaries of language.

Dass shares, "We released Jai Bhim on OTT in five languages and the response was overwhelming. We have always believed in quality content and today more than ever we’re seeing how it’s breaking the language barrier in film viewership. Tamil and other South Indian films are seeing commercial success all over the country and world. With subtitles available on OTT, content can be watched and enjoyed everywhere."    

Johar and Gada also swear by South Indian content making inroads in the North during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Quality of the content is the name of the game. Because of OTT, fans are looking for their money's worth in cinema halls," Johar says.

"OTT and VoD space have also contributed to the popularity of Southern content. While the timing of the release of Pushpa did play a vital role, the anticipation of Allu Arjun starrer was soaring high. The fact that the digital rights were taken up at a steep price indicated that quality regional content can be consumed and can dominate the big screens as well as the digital screens," Gada adds. 

 Creating new market in North with theatrical clashes 

"They are strong in the South market as it is. In the north, it creates additional revenue for them. Now they want to hammer in and create an independent space for themselves. A new market. Even if it backfires, they won't suffer any losses business-wise as the home market has already covered that aspect for them," Johar says, adding on the recent Gangubai Kathiawadi and Valimai clash at box office.

"Gangubai Kathiawadi's business won't be affected much as it is an upmarket and city-centric film. Valimai, on the other hand, is a 'mass' film that will work well in certain belts. The markets for them are different. But the positivity for Valimai pan-India is very high and it will remain the first choice in places Ganagubai Kathiawadi won't run that well," he concludes.