Since the ‘Baahubali’ sensation swept the country, we’ve seen a slew of pan-Indian films announced and produced. These films have actors, directors, and technicians from the Hindi and South Indian cinema industries working together to achieve box office success. Today, we look at the South actors who will make their Bollywood debut in 2022.
Naga Chaitanya
Naga Chaitanya, the son of superstar Nagarjuna Akkineni, is a well-known actor in South India. He co-stars with Aamir Khan in the highly awaited film ‘Laal Singh Chaddha,’ and is affectionately referred to as Chay. The film is an official version of Tom Hanks’ Academy Award-winning picture ‘Forrest Gump.’ According to a recent source, the producers intend to add scenes between Aamir and Chaitanya after observing their chemistry in the initial edit of the film. The Advait Chandan-directed film is set to be released on April 14, 2022, to coincide with the Baisakhi holiday.
Vijay Deverakonda
When ‘Kabir Singh’ became a huge hit, Hindi filmgoers were aware of Vijay Deverakonda’s prominence. The Shahid Kapoor-Kiara Advani film was a remake of ‘Arjun Reddy,’ which starred Vijay Deverakonda in one of the best performances of his career. The actor will make his Bollywood debut in the sports drama ‘Liger,’ which will be released on August 25, 2022. Ananya Panday plays the major heroine in the film, which is produced by Dharma Productions. Mike Tyson, the legendary boxing champion, also makes his Indian film debut in ‘Liger.’
Rashmika Mandanna
Rashmika Mandanna, who is now promoting her new film ‘Pushpa,’ will make her Hindi cinema premiere in 2022 with two films: ‘Mission Majnu,’ in which she will star alongside Sidharth Malhotra, and ‘Goodbye,’ in which she could star alongside Amitabh Bachchan. The first is a spy thriller set to debut on May 13, 2022, whereas the second is a television series featuring Big B and Neena Gupta as Rashmika’s parents.
Samantha Ruth Prabhu
Samantha has already earned a name for herself in Bollywood, having made her OTT debut in the second season of the spy thriller series ‘The Family Man as a Sri Lankan rebel. Manoj Bajpayee’s series was highlighted by her strong, reserved performance. Taapsee Pannu said in a recent roundtable interview that she has offered Samantha a Hindi film through her production company, ‘Outsider Films,’ which she founded in 2021. We can expect an announcement shortly, and ideally, the picture will be released in 2022.
Vijay Sethupati
Vijay Sethupati, regarded as one of India’s best performers, will appear in two Hindi films in 2022. Sriram Raghavan’s ‘Merry Christmas,’ in which the ‘Super Deluxe’ actor will star with Katrina Kaif, is his most thrilling project. Raghavan’s prior works, such as ‘Andhadhun’ and ‘Badlapur,’ have all been described as exquisite thrillers. Fans and the media have dubbed Sethupati ‘Makkal Selvan,’ which translates to ‘People’s Treasure.’ His second Hindi film, ‘Mumbaikar,’ is a copy of the 2017 Tamil drama ‘Maanagaram.’
Nayanthara
Nayanthara is one of South Indian cinema’s most successful stars. In an untitled Atlee’s film, she will make her big Bollywood debut alongside Shah Rukh Khan. Though not officially announced, various media sources say that the film is inspired by Netflix’s global blockbuster series ‘Money Heist.’ Nayanthara’s Hindi film debut is eagerly awaited after she won five Filmfare Awards South for Best Actress.
