The much-hyped ‘pan-India’ movement promised to blur boundaries between Bollywood and the Southern film industries. Glossy promotions, star debuts and big-ticket collaborations were expected to create new cinematic cross-pollination. But more often than not, audiences have been disappointed by the results.
A recent example is War 2, where fans of Jr NTR were left underwhelmed.“Unless it’s a solo project like Pushpa for Allu Arjun, the North–South pairing in ensemble films is very dicey, since it fails to satisfy fandoms,” notes trade analyst Ramesh Bala.
Bollywood actors venturing south have also met with limited success. Akshay Kumar (Kannappa), Bobby Deol (Kanguva), and Ali Fazal (Thug Life) were all not able to create the intended impact in their outings.
Not a new phenomenon
Cross-pollination is not new. In the 1980s, Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth carved a niche in Hindi films, followed by R. Madhavan who enjoyed pan-Indian visibility in the 90s. Others such as Mohanlal, Dulquer Salmaan, Mammootty and Vikram managed only limited traction in Bollywood.
Some stars did break through spectacularly. Prabhas became a household name after the Baahubali and Jr NTR soared with RRR. But, for every such success, there are uneven outings, be it from Chiranjeevi, Dhanush, or Prithviraj.
The sensibility gap
According to film analyst Girish Wankhede, the problem lies less with the actors and more with how they are presented. “Mainstream South films foreground larger-than-life heroism, stylised action and spectacle, whereas many Hindi films follow urban themes or calibrated star personas. What works in one idiom can feel excessive or alien in another.”
Language and writing, he adds, are critical: “Good Hindi, or convincing dubbing, helps audiences connect.” Marketing also plays a decisive role. Films like Baahubali, KGF and RRR turned into national phenomena thanks to multilingual positioning and strong promotion.
Film critic Joginder Tuteja believes intent is the bigger issue. “When male actors come from the South, we play up their image there, and then try to mix it with what pan-India audiences expect. More often than not, it becomes a mismash. The intent is not to let the actor contribute meaningfully to the film but to leverage their popularity. That’s walking a thin rope.
Trade analyst Sumit Kale agrees: “In the South, actors are given rooted, massy roles with strong elevation. Bollywood has forgotten that style, instead relying on remakes of South films. That’s why most big South stars have failed to leave a mark.”
The women who crossed over
Interestingly, female actors have navigated the cross-pollination process with fewer barriers. Sridevi remains the ultimate pan-India phenomenon. Others such as Khushbu and Jyothika moved south after limited visibility in Bollywood, while contemporary stars like Aishwarya Rai, Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif managed careers that bridged both industries. Among the younger lot, Rashmika Mandanna has emerged as a genuine crossover name, while Priyanka Chopra Jonas is set to return to Indian screens with SSMB29. Yet trade experts feel no one has yet replicated Sridevi’s rare box-office dominance.
Question of choices
The gap between Bollywood and the South is not about hierarchy but about choices. As one trade watcher puts it, “War 2 didn’t fail because Jr NTR lacks talent — it failed because of weak writing and characterisation.”
Recent sore points, like Janhvi Kapoor’s underwhelming portrayal of a Malayali character in Param Sundari, prompting many to ask why a native Malayalee actor wasn’t chosen for the part.
Which raises the final question: could Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana, with Ranbir Kapoor, Yash, and Sai Pallavi, be the one contemporary film that gets cross-pollination right?
