Telugu: One of the identified achievements of South Indian cinema-in particular, Hollywood-in-Telugu and Kollywood-sponsored, was its massive national recognition over the years. Baahubali, KGF, RRR, and Pushpa are some of those names that took their audience fervently across India. A kind of new tension seems to crop up over it. Observing many fans, it is clear that Telugu and Kannada stars come across as dismissive or sarcastic most of the time over Bollywood. From Mahesh Babu’s “They can’t afford me” remark to KGF 2’s sly “nepotism” dialogue, they add to the already brewing discussions about antagonism towards Hindi movies.
“The answer to this tension lies in decades of cultural disrespect,” states a few of the users on Reddit. South Indians have been caricatures to Bollywood for many years-old exaggerated accents or stereotypes, even comedy relief characters. This portrayal from Padosan to Ra.One strengthens the feeling of alienation rather than portraying a real sense of South Indian identity. Most seem to think that the South’s pride in its success today is not arrogance, but rather a response to mockery and neglect over the decades.
For some, Bollywood’s seemingly newfound love for South cinema isn’t quite genuine or by any standards unconditional; it’s all about profit. After the ah-mazing entry of Baahubali, high-profile Hindi production houses and stars began collaborating with South projects-KGF was distributed by Farhan Akhtar’s Excel Entertainment, Baahubali had Karan Johar as a Hindi partner. So, however, as one user pointed out this “love” is probably opportunistic and short-lived.
The so-called antagonism may not be hatred but a kind of battle to assert one’s identity and equality, where South cinema creatively and commercially takes the torch from Bollywood and exposes the facade behind the age-long cultural monopoly of Bollywood. We are not witnessing war, but India’s cinema finally finding its balance after ages.
Also Read: The Countdown Begins: Kaithi 2 Pre-Production Starts Today!
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