• With a few notable exceptions, the majority of Hindi movies in 2022 have failed.
• As a result, there is a perception that “Bollywood is dead” and that South cinema is to blame for its decline.
• Actor Rakul Preet Singh, who has performed in both Bollywood and the South, recently responded to the uproar.

Movies from the southern film industry have a tendency to do well at the box office, even in the Hindi belt, over the past two years. In contrast, the majority of Hindi movies struggle to find audiences. With a few notable exceptions, the majority of Hindi movies in 2022 have failed. As a result, there is a perception that “Bollywood is dead” and that South cinema is to blame for its decline. Actor Rakul Preet Singh, who has performed in both Bollywood and the South, recently responded to the uproar.

The three highest-grossing Indian films of 2022 are all from the south: the Tamil film Ponniyin Selvan, the Telugu film RRR, and the Kannada film KGF Chapter 2. In actuality, there are currently only four Hindi films in the top 10. Given that KGF 2 and RRR outperformed numerous Bollywood films in terms of box office revenue from just their Hindi translations, this stifling influence of south Indian cinema is even more pronounced.

Speaking at the Conclave about the North vs South debate in cinema, Rakul said, “Cinema is a language of emotion and not boundaries. The conversation has started now but veteran stars like Sridevi and Tabu have all worked in the South. There have been so many films that have been remade then and now. Today, they reach the high so we are having a discussion. But the pandemic has made us have discussions about contents from the West, Korean or regional. The best of all worlds have come together.”

When asked if she believes Bollywood is ‘dead’, Rakul responded, “So, is Bollywood over? Rakul answered, “It’s just a phase. People love to write about things that are not working. But it takes a lot of effort behind a product. Today, South films are working but we are only talking about ones that released here. Others don’t release here and don’t work. Post the pandemic, the taste of the audience have changed. It’s not about South or Bollywood films working but the kind of cinema people want to watch. They need larger than life cinema.”

Before making her Bollywood debut with Yaariyan in 2014, Rakul started her career in 2009 with the Kannada film Gilli and afterwards worked in both Tamil and Telugu cinema. She most recently appeared in the Hindi film Thank God, and she is currently anticipating Chhatriwali’s release. She is currently working on the high-budget Tamil movies Ayalaan and Indian 2.