Indian cinema is in a state of flux these days. Most apparent is the steady exchange of talent happening between the myriad film industries that make up the dynamic Indian cinema space. Bengali actor Jisshu Sengupta is mopping up film roles down south — Bheeshma, Ashwathama, and the upcoming Acharya. South actresses are all the rage in Bollywood — Priyamani, Raashi Khanna, Rashmika Mandanna, Nithya Menen, among others. Bollywood actors are doing South Indian films with elan — Sanjay Dutt in KGF Chapter 2; Jackie Shroff in Bigil, Saaho and the upcoming Annaatthe; Ajay Devgn and Alia Bhatt in RRR, and many more.
As language barriers dissolve further, the North – South divide is also diminishing rapidly. Bollywood filmmakers are opening up to the charisma of South actors, and are keen to sign them up for their Hindi language projects.
Here are 5 South Indian actors who will make their Bollywood debut in purely Bollywood films –
Note: we have not taken into account the spate of pan-India films being made in multiple languages, for instance, RadheShyam, RRR, Pushpa, Major, etc. The sole reason is that though they will also premiere in Hindi, they are not exactly “Bollywood” productions.
1. Satya Dev in Ram Setu:
Fast-rising Telugu actor Satya Dev will make his Bollywood debut in Akshay Kumar‘s upcoming magnum opus, “Ram Setu”. While Akshay Kumar is said to play an archaeologist in the film, Satya Dev’s role is still under wraps. The film is produced by Cape of Good Films, Abundantia Entertainment, Lyca Films, and Amazon Prime Video. Ram Setu has signed on two female leads, Jacqueline Fernandez and Nushrratt Bharuccha, and hopefully one will play Satya Dev’s love interest.
2. Vijay Sethupathi in Mumbaikar:
Powerhouse of talent, Vijay Sethupathi, was to make his Bollywood debut with Aamir Khan‘s Laal Singh Chaddha. But alas, that was not to be. Well, Laal Singh Chaddha’s loss is Mumbaikar’s gain. The Santosh Sivan film, a remake of Lokesh Kanagaraj’s blockbuster Tamil film Maanagaram, Mumbaikar is an action thriller set in—where else—Mumbai. The film also stars Vikrant Massey, Tanya Maniktala, Sanjay Mishra, Ranvir Shorey and Sachin Khedekar. Vijay Sethupathi’s first look from the film is stunning, and promises a thrilling cinematic experience when Mumbaikar releases.
3. Prabhas in Adipurush:
Prabhas in Adipurush is easily the biggest Bollywood debut of any South actor in recent times. The film is directed by Om Raut (Tanhaji), and also stars Saif Ali Khan and Kriti Sanon. Adipurush is a re-imagining of the Ramayana, and is a film that has been mounted on a lavish scale. Prabhas is playing Ram, against Saif Ali Khan’s Ravana.
4. Akkineni Naga Chaitanya in Laal Singh Chaddha:
Telugu actor Akkineni Naga Chaitanya, older son of Akkineni Nagarjuna, will make his Bollywood debut with Aamir Khan‘s buzzy film, Laal Singh Chaddha. He is said to play the crucial role of Bala in the film. It is a role that was supposed to be played by Vijay Sethupathi, who backed out due to undisclosed reasons. Laal Singh Chaddha is a remake of Tom Hanks’ iconic Hollywood film Forrest Gump, and is planning for a Christmas 2021 release.
5. Bellamkonda Sai Sreenivas in Chatrapathi
Bellamkonda Sai Sreenivas is all set to make his Bollywood debut with the Hindi remake of S S Rajamouli’s 2005 hit, Chatrapathi. The original, with Prabhas in the lead, is a legit blockbuster film of Telugu cinema. Its Hindi remake is being directed by director VV Vinayak, with a few changes to the script to suit Bollywood sensibilities.