Pan-Indian film

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Pan-Indian film
Years active2015–present
LocationIndia
Major figuresS. S. Rajamouli
Prashanth Neel
InfluencedCinema of India

Pan-Indian film is a term related to Indian cinema that originated with Telugu cinema as a mainstream commercial cinema appealing to audiences across the country with a spread to world markets.[1][2] S. S. Rajamouli pioneered the pan-Indian films movement with duology of epic action films Baahubali: The Beginning (2015) and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017), that changed the demography of Indian cinema.[3][4][5][6]

The term "pan-Indian film" is used for a film that is simultaneously marketed and released in multiple languages across India – Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam.[7] Such films make an attempt to appeal to the audiences across the country, cutting across the linguistic, regional and cultural barriers.[8]

History

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Indian cinema is composed of various language film industries. Films are often remade in other languages, examples being Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana (2005, Telugu) and Chachi 420 (1997, Hindi). Films are also dubbed into other languages and released with localised titles either on the same release date or at a later date. Films such as Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and Enthiran, were dubbed in other Indian languages and were released along with their original versions.[9]

According to The Times of India, the first pan-Indian film from Kannada cinema is Mahishasura Mardini released in 1959.[10] It was dubbed and released in seven other languages. But, no other film was released in more than four languages, since then.

Indian Cinema industries often remake each others works, Between 2000 and 2019, one in every three successful films made in Hindi was either a remake or part of a series. And most of the star actors, have starred in the hit remakes of South Indian films.[11][12] Since 2010s, dubbing and telecasting of South Indian films (primarily Telugu and Tamil) in Hindi became a regular practice by which films from Telugu cinema and Tamil cinema gained popularity in the Hindi speaking regions.[13] Majority of these films were dubbed after few weeks or months of the original version release.[14] Similarly, Hindi films were frequently dubbed in Telugu and Tamil languages, but didn't gain as much popularity in Telugu and Tamil speaking regions as Telugu/Tamil films received, except a few like Dangal (2016), M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016).[15]

Baahubali onwards (2015-present)

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"A pan-Indian film does not mean that actors from different languages come together. That's all part of it. A pan-Indian film means a story and emotion that connects to everyone irrespective of the language. While creating a story, I think 'If I switch off this dialogue portion, will the audience still connect to my movie?' Many times, the answer is a yes."

 — S. S. Rajamouli, the director of Baahubali duology and RRR[16][17]

In 2015, S. S. Rajamouli's duology of epic action films Baahubali: The Beginning (2015) and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017); that became huge critical and commercial success. Baahubali 2 became the highest grossing Indian film of all time.[6] The film was released in various languages across the world. Filmmakers started a new film movement, that is, rather than remaking the same film in various languages, they are dubbing the same film in various languages and releasing simultaneously.[18] Srivatsan S of The Hindu wrote that Telugu cinema has excelled in marketing Pan-Indian films. It primarily employed two strategies – promoting the film outside their home territory and collaborating with other regional stars for more visibility.[19]

Kannada film K.G.F: Chapter 1 (2018) directed by Prashanth Neel also released in five languages, thereby becoming the first major Pan-Indian film from Kannada cinema.[20][21] Success of other films like 2.0 (2018), Saaho (2019), Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy (2019) made Pan-Indian films widespread to other major Indian film industries.[22][23] Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea (2021) is the first major Pan-Indian film from Malayalam cinema.[24]

Following the success of the Telugu films Pushpa: The Rise (2021) and RRR (2022), Rahul Devulapalli of The Week identified "Content, marketing, [and] indulgent overseas audience" have led to the rise of pan-Indian films from Telugu cinema.[25]

Actors like Prabhas, Yash, Allu Arjun, Ram Charan, and N. T. Rama Rao Jr. enjoyed nationwide popularity among the audiences after the release of their respective Pan-Indian films.[26] Film critics, journalists and analysts, such as Baradwaj Rangan and Vishal Menon, have labelled Prabhas as the "First legit Pan-Indian Superstar".[27] India Today states Prabhas as "a flagbearer of introducing the trend of Pan India films in the nation".[28][29]

Pan-Indian films also employ actors from different language industry to increase their visibility and bring a universal appeal.[30][31] In an interview with Film Companion, filmmaker Karan Johar said: "Pan-India is a phenomenon we cannot diminish or dilute."[32]

Notable films

[edit]
Year Title Director Original language(s) Ref.
2015 Baahubali: The Beginning S. S. Rajamouli Telugu [33]
2017 Baahubali 2: The Conclusion [34]
2018 2.0 S. Shankar Tamil [35]
KGF: Chapter 1 Prashanth Neel Kannada [36]
2019 Saaho Sujeeth Telugu
Hindi 		[37]
2021 Pushpa: The Rise Sukumar Telugu [37]
2022 RRR S. S. Rajamouli [38]
KGF: Chapter 2 Prashanth Neel Kannada [38]
Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva Ayan Mukerji Hindi [39]
2023 Leo Lokesh Kanagaraj Tamil [40]
Animal Sandeep Reddy Vanga Hindi [41]
Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire Prashanth Neel Telugu [42][43]
2024 Kalki 2898 AD Nag Ashwin [44][45]

Criticism of term

[edit]

Several actors, filmmakers and critics have criticise the term Pan Indian film. In an interview with Deadline Hollywood, actor N. T. Rama Rao Jr expressed his disapproval for the term: "I hate referring to it as 'pan-Indian', it sounds like a frying pan. We just mean it is a film that can travel into all the Indian languages".[46] Speaking with PTI, Dulquer Salmaan said: "The word pan-India really irks me. I just don't like hearing it. I love that there is so much exchange of talent happening in cinema, it's great, but we are one country. I don't think anyone says pan-America."[47] Kamal Haasan felt the concept of Pan-Indian cinema always existed, and criticised the term as a new "coinage".[48]

Prabhas, who played the protagonist of Baahubali series, opined that the industry should make "Indian" films instead of "pan-Indian" films.[49] Actor Siddharth echoed the same. He felt the term pan-Indian was a "very disrespectful word" as its use was limited to non-Hindi films.[50] Writer-actor Adivi Sesh felt that "the word is somewhat abused," and used like a euphemism for dubbed film.[51]

Bharti Dubey and Hemachandra Ethamukkala of The Times of India stated that the pan-Indian films have mostly been action films and criticised the perceived violence in such films.[52] Writing for The Swaddle, Rohitha Naraharisetty feels pan-Indian films glorify toxic masculinity and the "angry young man" archetype, while suffering from underdeveloped and heavily objectified female characters.[53]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "The secret of the pan-Indian success of films from the south: Balancing the local and universal". The Indian Express. 3 August 2022. Archived from the original on 7 August 2022. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  2. ^ Mehrotra, Suchin (19 September 2019). "What Does It Take To Make A Pan-India Movie?". Film Companion. Archived from the original on 7 February 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  3. ^ Bamzai, Kaveree (1 April 2022). "Cinema's Biggest Mythmaker". Archived from the original on 26 June 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  4. ^ ""The original Pan India filmmaker"". 26 June 2022. Archived from the original on 23 May 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  5. ^ "Inside the mind of SS Rajamouli: Decoding how the RRR director lends scale to his storytelling". 30 March 2022. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  6. ^ a b "How Baahubali changed the face of Telugu cinema worldwide". India Today. 12 April 2018. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  7. ^ "'Pan-India' films make a comeback". Telangana Today. 17 April 2021. Archived from the original on 27 August 2021. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  8. ^ Hrishikesh, Sharanya; Sebastian, Meryl (20 April 2022). "KGF 2, RRR, Pushpa: The southern Indian films winning on Bollywood's turf". BBC News. Archived from the original on 22 April 2022. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  9. ^ "'Enthiran' rewrote South's place in Indian cinema". Deccan Herald. 10 October 2020. Archived from the original on 22 April 2022. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  10. ^ "Did you know? The very first pan-Indian Kannada film is this 1959 classic starring Dr. Rajkumar". The Times of India. 3 February 2021. Archived from the original on 16 December 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
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  13. ^ Shrikrishna, Aditya (15 May 2022). "Understanding the new 'pan-Indian' film". Frontline. Archived from the original on 29 July 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
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  19. ^ S, Srivatsan (7 January 2022). "The 'pan-Indian' strategy of Telugu cinema". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  20. ^ Hooli, Shekhar H. (21 December 2018). "KGF movie review: This is what Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam audience say about Yash starrer". ibtimes.co.in. Archived from the original on 13 November 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  21. ^ "KGF to be amultilingual, will release in five languages". The Times of India. 29 August 2017. Archived from the original on 26 June 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  22. ^ Nanisetti, Serish (2 October 2019). "Chiranjeevi's 'Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy' hits screens amid noisy welcome by fans". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 8 January 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  23. ^ "2.0 All India Update – Crosses 400 Crore NETT". Box Office India. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  24. ^ "To be history, the Maraikas; Released in more than 50 countries : Cinema News". deepika.com. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  25. ^ "Here's Telugu cinema's formula for pan-India success". The Week. 5 June 2022. Archived from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  26. ^ "Prabhas, Ram Charan to Yash: 6 celebs who established pan-Indian appeal with just one film". PINKVILLA. 24 May 2023. Archived from the original on 7 February 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  27. ^ FC, Team (20 August 2020). "Is Prabhas India's First Legit PAN Indian Star?'". www.filmcompanion.in. Archived from the original on 7 February 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  28. ^ "Prabhas - a flagbearer of introducing the trend of Pan India films in the nation". The Times of India. 11 November 2022. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 10 December 2022. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  29. ^ "Prabhas decoded: How and why 'Salaar' star is a pan-India superstar". India Today. 23 December 2023. Archived from the original on 23 December 2023. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  30. ^ Pecheti, Prakash (17 June 2021). "New mantra for pan-India stories". Telangana Today. Archived from the original on 29 August 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  31. ^ "Allu Arjun, Tovino Thomas, Fahadh Faasil added southern spice to Indian cinematic fare in 2021". The Economic Times. 31 December 2021. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022.
  32. ^ "Allu Arjun's Pushpa shows Telugu films have pan-India audience. Step aside, Bollywood". ThePrint. 16 January 2022. Archived from the original on 8 February 2022. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  33. ^ "Rise of the pan-Indian film, from Rajamouli's RRR to Vijay Devarakonda's Liger". News9live. 20 October 2021. Archived from the original on 14 November 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  34. ^ Cornelious, Deborah (4 May 2017). "How to make a pan-India film". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 14 November 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  35. ^ "Indian 2 and 2.0 director Shankar to collaborate with THIS Tollywood star for his next pan-India project?". Bollywood Life. 12 February 2021. Archived from the original on 14 November 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  36. ^ "KGF Chapter 1 Revisit: Yash Took KGF Pan India, Was Treated As Salesman". KGF Chapter 1 Revisit: Yash Took KGF Pan India, Was Treated As Salesman. Archived from the original on 14 November 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  37. ^ a b "RRR, Pushpa, Liger, Radhe Shyam, Adipurush: Are pan India films the way forward?". Hindustan Times. 23 April 2021. Archived from the original on 14 November 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  38. ^ a b "'RRR', 'Radhe Shyam', 'KGF: Chapter 2': Pan-India multilingual movies to look forward to". The Times of India. 5 May 2021. Archived from the original on 14 November 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
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  40. ^ |"Thalapathy Vijay did not want Leo to be pan-India film. Here's why he changed his mind". India Today. 20 April 2023.
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  42. ^ "Prabhas to Unleash His Dark Side in New Pan-India Film Salaar, Makers Release Intense Poster". News18. 2 December 2020. Archived from the original on 15 January 2024. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  43. ^ "Amid Kalki 2898 AD's dream run, ranking Prabhas' post pan-India stardom films from worst to best". www.mensxp.com. 7 July 2024. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  44. ^ Malhotra, Rahul (1 July 2024). "'Kalki 2898 AD' Delivers the Biggest Global Box Office Debut in Indian Cinema History". Collider. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  45. ^ Ramachandran, Naman (1 July 2024). "Indian Sci-Fi Epic 'Kalki 2898 AD' Bows in Third Place Worldwide as 'Inside Out 2,' 'A Quiet Place: Day One' Lead International Box Office". Variety. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  46. ^ Grater, Tom (12 May 2021). "'RRR' Star Jr NTR Gives First Interview About Mega-Budget Action Pic From 'Baahubali' Director S.S. Rajamouli". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 27 October 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  47. ^ "Dulquer Salmaan: You can't engineer a pan-India film". The Times of India. PTI. 19 March 2022. Archived from the original on 12 April 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  48. ^ "'Nothing new, always been there': Kamal Haasan on 'pan Indian cinema' phenomenon". The Week. PTI. 26 May 2022. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  49. ^ Rajaraman, Kaushik (7 March 2022). "How about making Indian films rather than pan-Indian ones?". DT Next. Archived from the original on 26 March 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  50. ^ "Drop use of 'pan Indian,' just call it an Indian film: Actor Siddharth". The News Minute. 1 May 2022. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  51. ^ "Major actor Adivi Sesh on pan-India movies: The word is somewhat abused, sounds like an euphemism for dubbed film". The Indian Express. 2 June 2022. Archived from the original on 4 June 2022. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  52. ^ "#BigStory: Are pan-India films promoting too much violence?". The Times of India. 23 April 2022. Archived from the original on 23 April 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  53. ^ Naraharisetty, Rohitha (21 July 2022). "How the 'Pan-India' Movie Phenomenon Embodies -- And Redefines -- Toxic Masculinity". The Swaddle. Archived from the original on 27 July 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
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