Mani Ratnam‘s ‘Ponniyin Selvan: Part 1‘ has set the box office on fire. With record non-holiday collections in the state, Tamil Cinema’s dream project is having a dream run at the box office. The film was marketed as a pan-Indian film and though it did well in other southern states, it did not find many takers in the Hindi belt and hence can’t be deemed Kollywood’s true pan-Indian hit. However, below are some highly anticipated films that may be Kollywood’s next big hit in the true pan-Indian sense, even in the Hindi-speaking belt.
Indian 2
Kamal Haasan. The name is brand enough to ensure box office records. After the blockbuster ‘Vikram’, Kamal Haasan’s next will be the big-budget ‘Indian 2‘, the sequel to his 1996 film ‘Indian’. The first film also starring Manisha Koirala and Urmila Matondkar was dubbed in Hindi as ‘Hindustani’ and was a commercial success in Hindi. Adding the nostalgic value, Indian 2 has everything going for it to be a pan-Indian success.
Ponniyin Selvan: Part 2
While PS1 was not accepted well in the North, things might change for Part 2. There have been numerous films that did disappointingly at the box office but found huge audiences after their satellite and digital release. With the film set to release on Prime Video, there is still time for the film to get its due among the Hindi audience so that people will watch the sequel in theatres.
Suriya 42
The motion poster for the film was released to huge praise from the audience. With breathtaking VFX and an ever charismatic superstar Suriya in a different avatar, the movie has also created buzz in the Hindi belt thanks to Sorrarai Pottru’s humongous success on Prime Video. With a huge fan following in Kerala and other southern states, if marketed well, the film can do big numbers in Hindi as well.
Varisu
Superstar Vijay has been breaking records as a hobby these days. From huge OTT and satellite deals for his yet unfinished films, the star’s Varisu’s smallest update gets it trending on Twitter for days. With enviable fans in neighboring states, if the story has pan-Indian appeal, ‘Varisu’ may be the film that will see the Hindi belt accepting Vijay as their own.
Captain Miller
The Dhanush starrer is one of the highly anticipated films of the star’s career. Dhanush is one of the few Tamil stars that have given hits in Hindi films – the first one being ‘Ranjhanaa’ and the latest one being Hotstar’s direct release ‘Atrangi Re’. Makers would be wise to use this popularity to give Captain Miller a pan-Indian release.
Ayalaan
Sivakarthikeyan’s ‘Ayalaan’ will be a sci-fi project with a 100 cr+ budget. The film was announced quite back and is taking time to get the post-production one right. A highly awaited film for fans, the film has a seemingly fresh concept and with the Hindi audience starved for good content, might find its audience up north as well.
It is hoped that these films will broaden the reach of Kollywood into the rest of India, even more than it is now. Have we forgotten any big venture that has a pan-Indian appeal? Do tell us.