The year 2024 proved to be a stellar one for Telugu and Malayalam cinema, while Bollywood faced challenges in reclaiming its dominance. Among the top five highest-grossing Indian films of the year, Telugu blockbusters such as Pushpa 2: The Rule, Kalki 2898 AD, and Devara: Part 1 reigned supreme, leaving Bollywood represented solely by Stree 2. Against this backdrop, a vibrant discussion took place during a recent Galatta Plus roundtable, where prominent producers dissected the evolving landscape of Indian cinema.
During the conversation, veteran Bollywood producer Boney Kapoor highlighted the timeless appeal of quality cinema, referencing K. Balachander’s 1981 classic Ek Duuje Ke Liye. When actor Siddharth questioned whether a fresh face and director could achieve similar acceptance in today’s Hindi-speaking markets, Boney offered a pointed response: “Yes, why has Adi(tya) Chopra taken Tarak (Jr NTR) for his film (War 2)?”
This remark prompted laughter from producer Naga Vamsi, who clarified that Jr NTR was far from being a “new face”. Siddharth expanded on the point, saying, “You’re talking about the biggest superstar of this (southern) industry collaborating with the biggest superstar (Hrithik Roshan) of this (northern) industry, under the biggest producer in India.”
The conversation underscored the growing pan-Indian appeal of Southern cinema and its stars, further blurring regional boundaries in Indian filmmaking.
