Regional films dominated the National Film Awards this year. The 70th National Film Awards were recently announced to recognize the best of Indian cinema from 2022. Film star Rishab Shetty won the Best Actor award for his role in the Kannada film Kantara. The movie also received the award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment.
The Best Actress award was jointly given to Nithya Menen for the Tamil film Thiruchitrambalam and Mansi Parekh for the Gujarati film The Kutch Express. The Malayalam film Aattam won Best Feature Film. Pavan Raj Malhotra was awarded Best Supporting Actor for the Haryanvi film Fouja, while Neena Gupta received Best Supporting Actress for the Hindi film Uunchai.
Sooraj Barjatya was honored with Best Director for Uunchai. Arijit Singh won Best Male Playback Singer for his song “Kesariya” from the Hindi film Brahmastra: Part 1 – Shiva, and Bombay Jayashri received Best Female Playback Singer for the song “Chaayum Veyil” from the Malayalam film Saudi Vellakka. A.R. Rahman won Best Music Director (Background Music) for the Tamil film Ponniyin Selvan: I. KGF Chapter 2, starring Yash, won Best Kannada Film and Best Action Direction (Stunt Choreography).
These films also received awards in other categories, alongside other notable regional films from various states.
At the 69th National Film Awards held last year, the Best Actor honor went to Allu Arjun for the Telugu movie Pushpa: The Rise. Alia Bhatt and Kriti Sanon shared the Best Actress award for their Hindi films. Gujarati cinema achieved a milestone when Gandhi & Co. won the Golden Lotus for Best Children’s Film. Chhello Show, which won Best Gujarati Film, was nominated as India’s official entry for the Oscars 2023 and was shortlisted in the Best International Feature Film category but did not win.
For actress Nithya Menen, winning Best Actress was a surprise, as her role as Shobana in Thiruchitrambalam was not typically considered a strong candidate for a national award.
“I have never done the kind of films that would traditionally bring national awards. I never try to do those dramatic genres. I was not really expecting the award at all,” says Menen, who has acted in Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu films.
Regional Cinema Is Challenging Bollywood
In recent years, the success of regional films, both in terms of content and box office performance, has shown that regional cinema is not only thriving but also challenging Bollywood. Language is no longer a barrier for regional films attracting pan-India audiences.
Experts note that theatres have seen hits across languages. In 2023, Marathi film Baipan Bhari Deva and Punjabi movie Carry on Jatta 3 performed exceptionally well, alongside a number of Hollywood hits. In 2022, Kannada films such as Kantara and Charlie 777 attracted large crowds to multiplexes.
According to a report, the share of box office collections for regional films in India’s total box office collections increased from 40.3% in the June 2023 quarter to 56.8% in the June 2024 quarter. Conversely, the share of Hindi films dropped from 41.3% to 35.1% during the same period.
With the rise of OTT platforms, smartphones, and affordable 4G internet, viewers now have access to content in all languages. South Indian films, in particular, have gained prominence through remakes or dubbed versions. Language barriers are being overcome with high-quality dubbing of regional films and web series into major Indian and international languages.
Menen comments on regional cinema, saying, “Regional films are a huge part of the country’s movie industry. I feel language is definitely important. People connect to languages they are more comfortable with.”
She adds, “Due to dubbing and the kind of content being produced, South Indian commercial films are appreciated even in northern India. Dubbing is definitely reducing the barrier.”
Pan-India Appeal
South Indian films like Baahubali 1 and 2, KGF 1 and 2, Saaho, Pushpa: The Rise, and RRR have appealed to audiences across India due to their high-quality dubbing and content. Dhanush’s song “Why This Kolaveri Di” and the Gujarati song “Khalasi” sung by Aditya Gadhvi went viral throughout India.
Regional stars like Yash (KGF, Kannada), Prabhas (Baahubali, Telugu), Allu Arjun (Pushpa, Telugu), Ram Charan, and Junior NTR (RRR) have developed large fan followings beyond their respective states. They have become trendsetters in states like Bihar, Jharkhand, and Gujarat, with fans emulating their styles and displaying their photos on autorickshaws.
As regional films, actors, and actresses gain fame and box office success, many are working across different film industries in India.
“Slowly, people are starting to accept films in different languages. I think that’s a really good trend. A lot of people specifically search for and watch Malayalam films because they have good stories. I’ve always worked in many languages myself and know how it feels,” says Menen.
Not only in the domestic market but also internationally, regional content in any language has become popular on platforms like Netflix and Prime Video. For example, RRR received global acclaim, and its song “Naatu Naatu” won an Oscar for Best Original Song.
From the perspective of big film production houses, the demand and supply dynamics shape their movie-making business. With evolving audience preferences, technology advancements, and emerging entertainment platforms, people now have more options than ever before.
(Bharti Mishra Nath is Contributing Editor, NDTV)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author