The pan-India model that reshaped the Indian box office after Baahubali may be reaching saturation, according to trade experts, who say the strategy has lost the novelty that once drove audiences to theatres.
Veteran trade analyst Sreedhar Pillai believes the formula is no longer as effective because multilingual releases have become commonplace.
“I think the pan-India formula is virtually over. A decade ago, when Baahubali became a hit, it was a unique thing. Now every film is getting dubbed in Hindi, so the novelty is missing,” he says.
Pillai also attributes the trend of casting actors from different industries to the belief that familiar faces can help films connect with audiences across regions.
“They’re old-school people who believe south audience and North audience are different. So, for the south audience, they have a heroine who’s famous in the north, and for the north audience they’ll have a hero who’s having some kind of opening in North India.”
On Vijay’s Jananayagan, Pillai says the actor’s appeal in North India cannot be compared to that of Allu Arjun.
“Vijay never had that North Indian opening at all. He cannot be compared with Allu Arjun in Northern India. Some people will go and watch the film out of curiosity. I think the Hindi version is just an add-on thing. If it works, it works. The business that a south Indian film gets from Northern territories is negligible.”
He adds that while Hindi-dubbed television premieres have helped several southern action stars gain visibility, that popularity does not always translate into theatrical business.
“Yes. Unknown action heroes from the south get a very good market in the Northern regions. It’s a big market for satellite rights. Allu Arjun’s popularity was specific to Pushpa. We don’t know what the future holds. Action films have a price for satellite. And the satellite people are very keen about the film having a theatrical release. Otherwise they think it’s a stray. If the film has been released in theatres, the satellite price is better.”
Pillai also notes that television revenues have weakened in recent years.
“Yes, it has come down badly. The digital platforms are performing better.”
Exhibitor Raj Bansal agrees that the pan-India label has become overused, diluting its impact.
“PAN-India—especially the South film industry—has started taking too much advantage of this. Hindi films never really ran much in the South. Then South films dubbed in Hindi started doing great business, but now every single movie arrives tagged as ‘PAN-India’, so it just doesn’t work as well anymore.”
He believes cross-industry casting may generate attention but is no guarantee of box-office success.
Pan-India Films That Failed to Impress
| Movie Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Game Changer | Despite starring Ram Charan and Kiara Advani, the film was criticized for its dated, predictable storytelling and failed to connect with audiences across markets. |
| War 2 | The spy thriller drew criticism for its weak narrative and underwhelming screenplay. Many viewers felt Jr. NTR’s entry into the YRF Spy Universe lacked the impact expected from such a high-profile collaboration. |
| Peddi | The sports drama faced backlash over its slow-paced narrative and the sexualization of its female lead. Despite being marketed as a pan-India entertainer, it struggled to sustain audience interest. |
| Kanguva | Starring Suriya and Bobby Deol, the film was hampered by a confusing screenplay, loud background score, and poor word-of-mouth, resulting in a disappointing theatrical run, particularly in North India. |
| Kannappa | Produced by Vishnu Manchu, the mythological drama failed to capitalize on cameo appearances by Prabhas and Akshay Kumar. Critics cited a weak script and underwhelming visual effects. |
| The Raja Saab | Prabhas’s horror-comedy received mixed-to-negative reviews, and weak word-of-mouth limited its box office performance. The genre shift from his usual action spectacles also divided audiences. |
“It’s a calculated move—they hire North Indian actors assuming it will grab media coverage and boost ticket sales in the northern market. But North India doesn’t go for every film; it only works for selective ones.”
According to Bansal, the market has reached a saturation point.
“It has become too much ‘PAN-India’ now. Earlier, there were limited films, which is why they did good business. Now every film is trying to say ‘this is PAN-India’, so that business is gradually declining. People in North India have slowly started keeping their distance from these films.”
While pan-India releases are unlikely to disappear, trade experts believe the label alone is no longer enough to attract audiences. As the market matures, they say, content—not language or branding—will determine which films truly travel across India.
