Allu Arjun Told Nikkhil Advani What's 'Wrong' With Bollywood: 'You All Have Forgotten How to Be...'

The ongoing debate between South Indian cinema and Bollywood has gained renewed attention as 2024 sees Telugu films outperforming Hindi cinema at the box office. Despite Bollywood’s temporary resurgence in 2023 with hits like Jawan, Gadar and Animal, the conversation has shifted back in favour of South cinema, especially after the success of Nag Ashwin’s Kalki 2898 AD, a primarily Telugu film that became the biggest Hindi-language grosser of the year.

Amidst this, filmmaker Nikkhil Advani recently shared a compelling insight from Telugu superstar Allu Arjun, who rose to pan-Indian fame with his 2021 blockbuster Pushpa: The Rise. Nikkhil, in an interview with Galatta Plus, recalled that Allu Arjun once pointed out a critical issue he sees in Bollywood today: “You all have forgotten how to be heroes,” Nikkhil quoted Allu in the interview.

Nikkhil elaborated on Allu’s observation, explaining that South Indian films have successfully tapped into the core emotions of heroism, even when dealing with seemingly mundane subjects like water irrigation. The South Indian industry packages these themes with spectacular action and moments of sheer heroism, making them resonate deeply with audiences.

“Everyone thinks about south cinema being mythology and everything, but they take the core emotion. Like water irrigation, let’s make a film about it and now they have packaged that with incredible action, incredible moments of heroism,” Nikkhil said.

Reflecting on Bollywood’s past, Nikkhil mentioned iconic films like Kaalia and Coolie, where Amitabh Bachchan’s characters embodied larger-than-life heroism. He also referenced Shah Rukh Khan’s role in Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, which, despite being an unconventional hero, still exuded a heroic spirit that seems to be missing in many of today’s films.

Interestingly, Allu Arjun, in earlier interviews, has expressed his admiration for Bollywood. He emphasised that actors across different Indian film industries are like “brothers” with mutual respect for each other’s work. He acknowledged the influence of Bollywood on South cinema and vice versa, stating that despite Bollywood’s recent challenges, it has produced great cinema for over six decades.