Salman Khan believes Bollywood faces challenges in becoming truly pan-India. The term “pan-India” gained popularity after Baahubali‘s massive success, signifying films that transcend language barriers and attract audiences nationwide.
However, this label has mostly been applied to South Indian films, gaining attention in the Hindi belt, not the other way around. Salman thinks there’s a reason for that.
Salman Khan On Bollywood’s Struggle To Go Pan-India
While promoting his upcoming film Sikandar in Mumbai, Salman addressed why Bollywood struggles to make an impact in the South. He explained that Hindi films don’t perform well there because the South’s audience remains dedicated to their own stars.
He shared, “When my film releases there, it won’t get the numbers because their fan following is very strong. I’ll walk on the street, and they will say, ‘Bhai, Bhai,’ but they will not go to the theatres. The way we’ve accepted them here, that hasn’t happened there. Their films do well because we go and see them, like those of Rajinikanth sir, Chiranjeevi garu, Suriya, or Ram Charan. But their fans do not go and see our films.”.
Superstar About Casting South Stars To Bridge The Gap
Many believe Bollywood could bridge the gap by casting South Indian stars in Hindi films. When asked about this, Salman agreed that collaboration could help but pointed out budget as one of the major obstacles.
He explained, “You need the right script for such a collaboration. The thing is money… They also charge, and we also charge. To make a film like this, it’s a big responsibility. You need to have a script like that. For instance, in a film like Ramayana, they can cast everyone from here and there (South).”
Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana has already adopted this approach, featuring Ranbir Kapoor alongside Kannada superstar Yash and Telugu actor Sai Pallavi.
Salman Khan Gears Up For Sikandar
Salman’s next film Sikandar is set to release on May 30 during Eid.. The film stars Rashmika Mandanna, Kajal Aggarwal, Sathyaraj, and Sharman Joshi. It will face stiff competition from Mohanlal’s L2: Empuraan and Sunny Deol’s Jaat.
The superstar urged fans to support all three films, hoping the festival would bring success for everyone.
Stay tuned with us for latest news, Hindi box office news, Hollywood news, OTT news, latest bollywood news and latest box office news.
