When was the last time a Hindi film from Bollywood influenced the largest section of the audience on a large scale? This is an important question. Because most of the viewers of Hindi films have started turning towards either OTT or films in South Indian languages. North Indian audiences have started liking the heart-wrenching and impactful films like Baahubali, RRR, Pushpa: The Rise or Manjummel Boys. Accordingly, the gap between Bollywood and South cinema is widening. It is understood that in Bollywood, the focus is often on glitz and glamor rather than the story, whereas South filmmakers do not want to let the glitz and glamor dominate the story.
Most of the South Indian films are not only dazzling but also full of action and never compromise on the story. Film makers in the South understand very well that the audience wants to connect with the story along with the action. South Indian filmmakers never want to ignore this wish of the audience, due to which they get better results at the box office as well.
A lot has changed after the Covid-19 pandemic. People's daily routine has changed, the content of entertainment has changed. Decades began to look for deeper, more meaningful stories. OTT platform became the biggest way to remove people's boredom. On the other hand, Korean dramas established their dominance and new discoveries started being made in South Indian films. There was a miraculous magical effect here, and also a story that shook the heart and mind.
People have now started wanting such stories whose flight has the potential to make the ground slip from under their feet, whose characters have conflict - no wonder South Indian cinema understands this very well. Take Manjummel Boys for example. This is a survival drama. The story is related to the land. The characters are relatable. The hero faces the challenges of unemployment and social pressure in a small village.
On the contrary, Bollywood still seems to be more dependent on old formulas. Big budget films often focus on style rather than content. Yes, films like 12th Fail and Lapata Ladies show that Bollywood can go deeper, but these are exceptions. There is still a need to do more work in this direction.
The magic of South Indian cinema lies in its authenticity, where stories are the core element of the film. Take Allu Arjun's Pushpa: The Rise for example. It is true that it is a dramatic action film but it succeeds because the lead character is not a polished hero. He is a person whose existence people can believe in.
Apart from Pushpa, watch films like Kantara. It connects to folklore and spirituality. At the same time it does not lose sentimentality at all. This is the basic difference between Bollywood and South cinema. Bollywood often seems much more polished than the South. Heroes seem impossible. Their struggle is exaggerated. What they forget to show beyond this exaggeration is the story. Here it seems necessary to create a drama. Due to this, the soul of the film gets left behind. Films like Adipurush also do not succeed because they lack the cultural and emotional depth that is seen in films like RRR or Kantara.
South Indian cinema people are not afraid of taking risks, they are courageous and fearless at the script level. Those filmmakers don't just play by the rules - they make their own rules. They experiment, they push boundaries, and they still impress audiences. Take Kathy for example. This is a Tamil thriller which does not waste any time. The entire film unfolds over a single night – no songs, no romance, just heart-pounding tension.
Meanwhile, Bollywood is playing a very new game. The past is being repeated here. Tries to recreate past successes by making remakes like Kabir Singh or Drishyam 2. But what is the problem? These stories rarely shock or excite anymore. There is no mystery left here. Bollywood people are forgetting that now the expectations of the audience are changing.
