Jun 16, 2026 11:30am IST
From ‘Radhe Shyam’ and ‘Devara: Chapter 1’ to ‘Peddi’: Has The Bubble Burst for Telugu’ Pan-India’ Films?
The dwindling collections of recently released Telugu films (dubbed in Hindi) have triggered a conversation about whether the era of Pan-India films is over. Although that seems to be the indication, the temptation of going ‘Pan-India’ and the mad rush to outdo each other has enticed the Andhra/Telangana makers and stars to an extent, where reality is being ignored or perhaps not sinking in.
Now that these ‘mega-budget’ projects are crashing in Hindi repeatedly, churning less than ₹20 crores lifetime business, Bollywood is in a mode to encash on the market trends and reclaim its audience.
The recent disaster at the ‘Pan-India’ box office of “Peddi,” starring ‘Global Star’ Ram Charan, has been an eye-opener for the film industry. The film was released on a Thursday, and yet, the four-day weekend collections of the Hindi version were in the range of ₹9 crore. Just for comparison’s sake, “Chand Mera Dil” starring Lakshya and Ananya Pandey had a weekend of over ₹10 crore.
Has The Bubble Burst?
So why aren’t these films working? Trade analyst Komal Nahta opines, “People who thought that every South film, which is called pan-India, is going to click, were wrong because every film, be it in Tamil or Telugu, can’t click. So the success ratio is the same as before: 15% of films click and 85% don’t. I don’t think any bubble has burst. If ‘Pushpa 3’ releases, that will be as sought-after and as eagerly awaited as ‘Pushpa 1’ (2021) and ‘Pushpa 2’ (2024). When ‘Varanasi’ (starring Priyanka Chopra and Mahesh Babu, directed by SS Rajamouli) comes, I’m sure it will take a huge opening. Once again, people will change the tune and say pan-India films are working.”
Not Just ‘Peddi’
Though “Peddi” is the latest victim in this scenario, the collections have been going downhill for a while now. “The Raja Saab” (2026) starring Prabhas ended its Hindi run, collecting around ₹5 crore. “The Game Changer” (Hindi) (2025), starring Ram Charan, did a lifetime business of close to ₹7 crore. Junior NTR’s “Devara: Chapter 1” (Hindi) (2024) was also in the same range of ₹7 crore. The Hindi version of “Radhe Shyam” (2022) starring Prabhas was even worse – collecting just about ₹4 crore. “RRR,” “Saaho” and “Kalki 2898 AD” grossed around ₹19, ₹25 and ₹20 crores respectively.
Pan-India Films Merely A Branding Exercise?
Industry experts believe that this whole ‘Pan-India’ projection was simply a branding exercise. It’s not as though Telugu or Tamil films haven’t fared exceptionally well at the Hindi box office earlier. Allu Arjun’s “Pushpa 2” in Hindi was a gigantic blockbuster. The “Baahubali” franchise (2015 and 2017) also did record business. “KGF 2” (2022) established Yash’s position across India with its fantastic box-office performance.
Not a new phenomenon
Long before all the above-mentioned films came, Kamal Haasan’s “Hindustani” (1996), which was the dubbed Hindi version of the Tamil “Indian,” was a massive success. Rajinikanth’s “Robot” (2010) (“Enthiran” in Tamil) and “2.0” (2018) also clocked the numbers. Mani Ratnam’s dubbed films like “Anjali” (1990) and “Roja” (1992) received a huge response, just like Kamal Haasan’s “Appu Raja” (1989) (Hindi version of “Apoorva Sagodharargal”).
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The point being that dubbed Hindi versions of South films doing well pan-India was never a new phenomenon, but every dubbed film cannot be expected to do wonders.
Reflecting on the wave of pan-India films, veteran producer Suresh Babu Daggubati says, “We have had many super hits that belong to other languages, but the one common thing is that when a local language does not give that satisfaction and content, that is something the people look for (outside). When we had very successful Tamil films, it was either because of Ilaiyaraaja’s music or the filmmaking. Earlier, it would happen across a couple of states, but now it’s gone across the country. When ‘Baahubali’ came, it was something that people were looking for. And so, it was lapped up. Before that, we had ‘Robot,’ which did fairly very well. Then there are some films that do well in their local language, but not pan-India. Like ‘Peddi,’ which has done well in its local language, but it’s not done as expected at the national level, because it was probably too rural for the national audience.”
However, he feels the presence of films across languages is a boon for the industry. “It’s a very positive sign for Indian cinema that regional films, which had to just be in a dubbing space, are now finding a pan-Indian audience. That’s thanks to social media and television, which made dubbed films popular. There will definitely be some failures and successes, depending on the kind of content that can travel pan-India. Overall, the trend will continue and there will be more and more films. The maker has to find out what is a common denominator that will go across.”
Commenting on what filmmakers should aim for if they want to plan a pan-India project, he says, “We keep learning, right? We never know which boxes to tick off. We look at themes that work, like patriotism and large-scale action, and try to tick these boxes. Now, whether a film like ‘Saiyaara’ (2025) can be a pan-India film? We don’t know. But then we had a ‘Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994),’ which was a very traditional family film, but was a pan-India success because it was dubbed in other languages and did extremely well. ‘Pushpa’ was a very rural film, but people connected with the emotion. Nobody expected ‘Kantara’ to do the kind of business it did. It was a very regional film based around a regional God. But look at the way it was loved by the audience. It’s all about the connect with the story and the emotions it invokes among people.”
He doesn’t feel that the poor performance of a few films will put an end to such films. “People will continue to make films for a pan-India audience. Once we’ve tasted it (success), we will not stop. Even if we get burnt 10 times, we won’t stop. And then there’ll be newer people… like now they are trying to make Nani’s Paradise into a pan-India film. So everyone will try and some will succeed.”
The Presence of Hindi films in South
About the performance of Hindi-dubbed movies in South, Akkshay Rathie, Director, Ashirwad Theatres Pvt Ltd, says, “It’s not as consistent. Bollywood hasn’t really put effort into Southern markets. They have been exceptions like ‘Jawan’ (2023), because it had Nayanthara, Anirudh and Vijay Sethupathi. Similarly, with ‘Brahmastra’ (2022) Ranbir Kapoor promoted it in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and it generated significantly more business than an average Hindi film. So, we need to not just release films in Southern and non-traditional markets, but also aggressively market these films.”
A Hindi film starring a South star that’s dubbed in Telugu or Tamil cannot guarantee success in regional markets either – like it was proved by “Adipurush” (2023) and “War 2” (2025), which featured superstars like Prabhas and Jr NTR.
In fact, sometimes, the ripple effect in one market can affect public sentiment in another. The negativity around the Hindi ‘Adipurush’ was so severe that it hit the Telugu version badly, even though the film had started there on a positive note. Last week, the brickbats that the Hindi ‘Peddi’ received over the sexualization of Jahnvi Kapoor’s character caused a backlash even in the Telugu market.
Rajesh Mishra, Executive Director and Group CEO, UFO Moviez India, explains, “Every film is a different venture. Something that appeals to everyone will work across India. For example, they did not release ‘Dhurandhar’ (2025) pan-India in a big way, but for the second part, they went all out and it had traction everywhere. ‘Pushpa’ has performed everywhere. So, bigger films, bigger stars and the entertainment quotient they carry, that is important. I would not write the obituary of pan-India films, but it was never going to be that every film will perform equally.”
Speaking about the impact of the poor performance of films like “Adipurush” and “Peddi,” Mishra says, “I would not give too much importance to that. ‘Adipurush’ faced criticism on different accounts, like the dialogues or the graphics. But that did not stop Prime Focus from launching ‘Ramayana.’ It remains confined to the film and the maker. It is about a film doing well and not really about any trend.
No Guarantee of Pan-India success
For filmmakers down South, the message is clear. The ‘Pan-India’ success cannot be taken for granted and is dependent on multiple factors – most importantly, the sensibility of the pan-India audience. Just the presence of a local superstar will not suffice.
Komal Nahta opines, “‘RRR’ had two heroes (Ram Charan and Jr NTR), but we cannot forget that it was SS Rajamouli’s film. Individually, these two heroes have failed, whether it was ‘Game Changer’ and ‘Peddi’ or ‘Devara: Part 1.’ It isn’t that it’s only the filmmaker that’s working either - it is the total package. If the film is not good, no tag is going to help.”
Reflecting on getting the equation right while making a film that appeals to a wide audience, he says, “Pan-India sensibilities have to be kept in mind. ‘Peddi,’ for example, had nothing pan-India about it. It had a very Southern flavor, narration and script. It looked like a film meant for that market. Plus, Ram Charan’s stardom in his territory as compared to the rest of India is different. You can’t expect the same kind of euphoria for a film starring Jr NTR or Ram Charan, unless that film’s entertainment quotient is so high that you forget that this is a South hero.
Scaling stories beyond regional borders
Highlighting the appeal of films that bring together actors and makers from various industries, Producer Vikram Razdan says, “There may have been a few hiccups, but today too all eyes are on ‘Ramayana,’ ‘Varanasi,’ ‘Spirit’ and ‘Toxic.’ Pan-India movies have been backed by all-India distribution players like AA Films & Pen Marudhar. Dharma Productions even presented the ‘Baahubali’ franchise. So, when the major market players are placing their bets on Pan-India movies, it is obvious that come ups or downs, the pan-India formula will continue to be applicable for scaling box-office potential.”
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