Dubbed southern films lose steam with north viewers

New Delhi: The popularity of southern films dubbed in Hindi, such as RRR, Pushpa, and KGF: Chapter 2, which initially found favour with north Indian audiences, is waning.

According to a recent report by multiplex operator PVR Inox, the share of Hindi (dubbed) content has fallen from 28% in Q1 FY23 to just 7% in Q1 FY24. This shift is attributed to a mix of audience fatigue with Hollywood movies, including the Marvel series, as well as fewer south Indian films having nationwide popularity compared to FY23, said industry experts. “After the successful run of Kantara last year, southern films dubbed in Hindi haven’t worked despite a lot of anticipation for Pushpa 2. Much of the excitement has subsided and in many cases, viewers felt the lack of value for money,” Pranav Garg, MD at a two-screen cinema in Muzaffarnagar Maya Palace, said.

Mass-market films from the South are frequently shown on TV and are also available on digital platforms, Garg said, adding it doesn’t make sense to watch them in theatres with high ticket and food prices.

Over the past six months, southern films like Vijay-starrer Varisu and Chiranjeevi’s Waltair Veeraayya have released in Hindi, but failed to create a buzz despite clocking impressive results in their home states. The Hindi version of Ponniyin Selvan-2 too made around ₹17 crore, less than the ₹25 crore earned by the first part. Even Rajinikanth’s Jailer that released on the 15 August weekend, managed limited shows in Hindi, with Bollywood titles Gadar 2 and OMG 2 already competing for screens. Theatre owners said southern filmmakers need to step up with committed marketing and distribution plans by involving the star cast in promotions to develop brands like it was done for franchises like Baahubali or Pushpa. Last year, theatres saw success with movies like RRR, which garnered much acclaim and buzz thanks to director S.S. Rajamouli and an exhaustive marketing campaign, and KGF 2 which already came with a massive fan following post KGF 1. “Both films had a lot of buzz around them and their content managed to drive the masses in large numbers, which a lot of movies post that haven’t managed to do. The magnitude of those movies or the scale of production cannot be compared with those released later, which couldn’t strike a chord with the public. So eventually it does boil down to the content quality,” said Satwik Lele, COO at Mukta A2 Cinemas.

“One of the challenges for underwhelming performance in cinemas can be attributed to the complexity of meeting the expectations of fans. While good content that resonates with the audience is often praised and loved, living up to the anticipation and demands of fans can be a daunting task. The success of cinemas relies heavily on the quality and appeal of the movies that are being run. Audiences have varying tastes and preferences, and it is not always easy to pre-empt what will capture their attention and generate enthusiasm,” Devang Sampat, CEO, Cinepolis India had said in a recent interview. Additionally, the film industry is highly competitive, with numerous movies vying for attention and box office success. Therefore, it is essential to carefully select and promote films that have the potential to captivate audiences and meet their expectations, he had pointed out.