Decoding the rise of Tollywood in North India

SOUTH RULES THE ROOST

- VIVEAT SUSAN PINTO

TWO WEEKS BEFORE the release of Allu Arjun's Pushpa 2 in theaters, the makers hosted a grand trailer launch in Patna. Over 10,000 people packed into Gandhi Maidan, Bihar's capital, surpassing the attendance at many political rallies typically held at the venue. The excitement was reminiscent of the days when Bollywood stars would generate such fervor.

Allu Arjun's Pushpa 2 is the latest instance of how regional blockbusters and heroes have become a nationwide craze, a trend that began with the first installment of Pushpa in December 2021 and continued with films such as RRR, KGF: Chapter 2, and Kalki 2898 AD, among others.

By the end of this weekend, Pushpa 2, which was released in theaters on December 5, is expected to surpass ₹1,000 crore in net earnings at the Indian box office. Interestingly, over 50% of these earnings, over ₹500 crore, will come from the Hindi version alone, with the remaining earnings coming from the South Indian languages, according to trade experts.

While action entertainers and horror comedies from Bollywood such as Shah Rukh Khan's Jawan and Pathaan, Kartik Aaryan's Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, Ranbir Kapoor's Animal, and Shraddha Kapoor's Stree 2 have lit the box office too over the last two to three years, hits from the Hindi film industry in the post-pandemic era have been fewer and far between.