By Siddharth Anand Kumar
Earlier this month, when the 170th movie starring Rajnikanth was announced, fans and trade experts rapturously welcomed the news. The hype around the TJ Gananavel directorial was immense because it came in the wake of the spectacular success of ‘Jailer,’ which incidentally featured not only Rajnikanth but a multilingual star cast, including Malayalam superstar Mohanlal, Karnataka’s very own Shiva Rajkumar as well as Jackie Shroff. This diverse ensemble cast added to the pan-Indian appeal of the film and its Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada versions drew a diverse audience across the country.
Such astute casting has now become the new mantra of success for many big-budget productions and the audiences are expecting many significant on-screen combinations in ‘Thalaivar 170’. There is some speculation regarding Amitabh Bachchan’s potential involvement in the movie though till now, it remains unconfirmed. However, audience excitement will be unimaginable if the two stars come together in a momentous reunion after the success of cult hits like ‘Hum’ and ‘Andha Kanoon.’ And of course, the film will reach a broader audience as well.
The confirmed cast however also boasts some major stars from different industries including Fahadh Faasil and Manju Warrier from Malayalam cinema and Telugu superstar Rana Daggubati. This multilingual star cast adds substantial commercial value to the film, as cinema increasingly blurs language barriers between industries.
So, when exactly did our cinema truly become Pan-Indian? Possibly in 2015, when S. S. Rajamouli’s magnum opus ‘Baahubali’ was released in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, and Malayalam and successfully demonstrated the potential of cinema to reach a wider spectrum of audiences by delivering visually rich content and dynamism. This momentum was further advanced by the ‘K.G.F’ franchise, ‘RRR’, ‘Kantara’ and counting.
The popularity of OTT platforms post the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak has compelled makers to think about new ways to ensure an ultimate theatre experience that will coax people out of their homes to come to the theatres. Multilingual, lavishly mounted movies are one way to achieve this.
The ability of the audience to appreciate strong content regardless of what language it is made in has also given an impetus to multilingual projects and actors like Tovino Thomas, Fahadh Fasil, Prithviraj and many others now have a following across the country. Remakes, once a prevailing trend, are fading away as movies from various languages are now available on OTT platforms. Barring exceptional cases like the ‘Drishyam’ franchise, the demand has reduced for remakes.
In most major cities in India, regional films are now being released either as dubbed versions or accompanied by subtitles, making it easier for audiences to access and appreciate the content.
Another notable trend concerning significant multilingual projects is the tendency to incorporate the latest technological developments and cutting-edge special effects to create immersive cinematic experiences. This is a lot like Hollywood which is drawing audiences to theatres through the extensive use of Real 3D, Dolby 3D, and IMAX 3D, as well as 4DX.
‘RRR’ was released across 100 IMAX screens worldwide, in both 3D and 2D formats. In 2023, ‘Pathaan’, also a multilingual, Pan-Indian hit, was screened on 140 IMAX screens globally as well. Thalapathy Vijay’s upcoming Tamil movie, ‘Leo,’ has sequences that have been shot with an IMAX-certified camera. These indicators suggest that we can anticipate more visually rich spectacles in Indian cinema in the coming years.
Currently, most big releases from Hindi cinema and the South are multilingual. When Yoodlee produced its first South Indian movie, ‘Abhiyum Anuvum’ (2017), it was a bilingual project in Tamil and Malayalam. Since then, we have produced many Malayalam, Tamil, Marathi, Punjabi, and of course Hindi movies. Our latest venture in Malayalam – ‘Malaikottai Vaaliban’ – is one of the most significant projects on our slate and has the potential to be dubbed and released in multiple languages because of its larger-than-life canvas and the presence of a superstar like Mohanlal in the lead.
Alongside these blockbusters, there will also be content-rich regional films that will appeal to audiences looking for intimate stories. The growing demand for regional content is indicative of an eagerness among the audience to celebrate linguistic and thematic diversity. Indian cinema is emerging as a powerhouse of diversity and this is a truly fecund time for all story-tellers.
(Siddharth Anand Kumar is Sr. Vice President, Films and Events at Saregama India Ltd)
