Challenges of being a pan-Indian star

‘Radhe Shyam’ showed how grand productions don’t guarantee good cinema. Actors like Prabhas must weigh in on quality scripts to thrive on their nationwide stardom, writes Karthik Keramalu

A religious moviegoer might think that anybody can become a pan-Indian star nowadays, given the digital age we’re living in. But reality works on a different plane because there are too many options to choose from.

Yash returns to the big screen with ‘KGF: Chapter 2’
more than three years after the first part. There is no
clarity on the actor’s next project.

If you don’t like a thriller that you’re watching on a streaming site, you can turn to a buddy comedy that promises to deliver a happy ending in an instant. This easy method of switching can’t be applied to actors you’ve worshipped for more than a decade, as you’ll consume their movies and series (and interviews), however mediocre they are.

Actors who are on the top rung of stardom needn’t worry about failure. Their creamy fates won’t be affected since their lofty careers will be able to withstand setbacks to a large extent. The tepid response to ‘Radhe Shyam’, starring Prabhas and Pooja Hegde, indicates that the audience cannot be won over with lackluster stories. It’s also a warning siren to the makers. Taking the cameras for a trip to the postcard-perfect places of Europe isn’t enough to make a moving romantic drama.

The most important aspects of a love story are usually embedded in the journey that the protagonists take to understand and fall for each other. ‘Pelli Choopulu (2016) came out of nowhere and captured the Telugu lands with its heartwarming tale of a determined woman and an aimless man. It ticked all the right boxes and emerged as a winner at the box office and the awards circuit. It went in a rather unique direction by deploying its leads in an environment that was conducive to the push-and-pull of a blossoming relationship.

Now that Vijay Deverakonda, who headlined ‘Pelli Choopulu’, is also running to bag the title of the pan-Indian star with his upcoming Hindi-Telugu bilingual ‘Liger’, the market is growing exponentially. But not even the Einstein of palmistry can say if all of them will hit the target. In the 80s and 90s, Tamil stars, such as Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth, starred in numerous Bollywood dramas, but they didn’t let the weight of appealing to diverse viewers crush them down.

To put it simply, there’s too much pressure surrounding the men who’ve hit it out of the park. Yash and Allu Arjun have basked in the glory of their recent successes, thanks to ‘KGF: Chapter 1’ (2018) and ‘Pushpa’ (2021), respectively. But how are they going to pick the projects moving forward? Will they consider the benefits of bilinguals? Or will they stick to their home bases and then look for different ways to push their fruits of labor towards the Hindi-belt?

There’s another point to be taken into account here — since these actors have set a high benchmark, they cannot feature in experimental films that are likely to be appreciated by niche groups only. The not-so-secret mantra that they’ll abide by is ‘the bigger the better’. Can you imagine Arjun being part of a hyperlink drama à la ‘Vedam’ (2010)? On the brighter side, nevertheless, he can count on his fans to rush to the theatres for ‘Pushpa 2’ as that’s the kind of stature he has reached.

‘RRR’, which hit the screens on Friday in five languages, might very well change the game once again, for it is directed by SS Rajamouli. If the movie puts Ram Charan and NTR Jr on the larger map of global cinema, it’ll open a lot of international doors for them. Dhanush has already shown how young stars can wade in the waters of Bollywood and Hollywood by collaborating with some interesting filmmakers.

South stars are definitely ruling Indian cinema but it will take them smart planning and meaty scripts to stay in the race.

(The writer is a Bengaluru-based freelancer).