Ever since the release of the blockbuster Baahubali: The Beginning in 2015, South Indian films have continued to ascend the Indian box office. Chipping away at Bollywood's dominance, which makes films in the more widely spoken Hindi language, movies made in Telugu and Tamil, in particular, have proven to be massive box office draws.
Six of the 10 highest-grossing Indian films of the year are from South India, while the rest are from Bollywood. Films in Telugu – native to the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana – once again dominate the big hitter list, with Pushpa 2: The Rule, Kalki 2898 AD, Devara: Part 1 and Hanu-Man breaking box-office records. Tamil films Amaran and The Greatest of All Time also made it to the Top 10.
Many of these films are also released in multiple languages from day one, including Hindi, ensuring their reach beyond India's many linguistic barriers. Meanwhile, actors are also acknowledging the shift, with an unprecedented number of Bollywood stars now appearing in South Indian productions. Southern celebrities too, now enjoy all-India fame – a sea change from a multi-industry structure that once thrived only in silos.
Here are six of the biggest South Indian movies that released this year.
1. Kalki 2898 AD
Stars: Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Kamal Haasan
Director: Nag Ashwin
Featuring an ensemble cast of A-list actors from across Bollywood and South India, Ashwin's sci-fi epic mixes futurism with elements of the Indian mythological epic Mahabharata. It follows Bhairava, a bounty hunter who is tasked to intercept and deliver a pregnant woman, known as Sum-80, to the totalitarian ruler of The Complex, a giant diamond-shaped utopia towering over the world's last living city of Kashi.
The film has made more than $130 million at the box office, according to IMDb.
2. Pushpa 2: The Rule
Stars: Allu Arjun, Rashmika Mandanna, Fahadh Faasil
Director: Sukumar
A sequel to the 2021 Telugu blockbuster, Pushpa: The Rise, which was the highest-grossing Indian film that year, this action drama once again follows the escapades of sandalwood smuggler Pushpa Raj, played by superstar Allu Arjun. Having risen from a small-time runner to a powerful leader of a syndicate, Pushpa's rule is soon tested by an old enemy as well as others within the ranks.
Only released on December 5, the film is already one of the highest-earners of the year, making more than $166.8 million at the box office, according to analytics company Comscore.
3. The Greatest of All Time
Stars: Vijay, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva
Director: Venkat Prabhu
The highest-grossing Tamil film of the year is also one of the highest-grossing Indian films, having made more than $52 million at the global box office, according to News18. This is despite the film receiving mixed reviews from critics. The National earlier said it was "a convoluted Mission: Impossible clone that entertains purely because of its lead."
Top Tamil star Vijay plays a double role in the film – as an officer in an elite antiterrorism squad and as the officer's estranged son, who has been brainwashed by a dangerous criminal.
4. Devara: Part 1
Stars: N T Rama Rao Jr, Saif Ali Khan, Janhvi Kapoor
Director: Koratala Siva
Another film mixing Bollywood power with a South Indian megastar, this action thriller is led by Rao, fresh off his blockbuster RRR, which won an Oscar for Best Original Song for Naatu Naatu last year.
Planned as a two-part film, Rao plays the dual role of father and son in Devara: Part 1, which is set in a fishing village where its inhabitants, once defenders of the seas, turn to smuggling to eke out a living. But when one of their chieftains, Devara (Rao), refuses to take part in illegal activities, a group is formed to destroy him and his family.
5. Amaran
Stars: Sivakarthikeyan, Sai Pallavi, Rahul Bose
Director: Rajkumar Periasamy
This Tamil biographical film is based on the life of Indian officer Mukund Varadarajan, who was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra, India's highest military honour, in 2014 "for displaying valour beyond the call of duty".
Sivakarthikeyan plays Varadarajan who, after being stationed in Jammu and Kashmir, is credited with killing a number of terrorists wanted by the Indian government.
The film made more than $32 million at the box office, according to Indian entertainment site Pinkvilla.
6. Hanu-Man
Stars: Teja Sajja, Amritha Aiyer
Director: Prasanth Varma
A superhero film mixed with Indian mythology, this Telugu action film stars Sajja as a petty thief named Hanumanthu. He acquires superpowers after coming into contact with a gem formed from a drop of blood from Hanuman, the Hindu deity known for his superhuman strength. Hanumanthu soon becomes the target of the powerful Michael, who yearns to have real superpowers, having only used gizmos until now.
Stopping at nothing to steal the gem, even murder, Hanumantha must stop Michael before he comes for everyone, including the people he loves.
Made on a reported budget of $4 million, the film was a surprise blockbuster, earning more than $41 million at the box office.
