‘Will you cast Rajinikanth as solo lead?’: Khushbu Sundar takes a dig at Hindi film industry’s pan-India narrative

South Indian actor Khushbu Sundar has questioned the claims being made by the Hindi film industry bigwigs about the non-existence of the divide between Hindi and South cinemas.

The actor-turned-politician was part of a session titled ‘Pan-Indian Cinema: Myth or Momentum?’ organised on the second day of the ongoing WAVES 2025 at the Jio World Centre here.

Advertisement

Speaking exclusively to The Statesman after the session, Khushbu said that even though South Indian superstars like Rajinikanth and Kamal Hassan were cast in Hindi films, they were given secondary roles rather than the main lead. “Down South, we can’t even imagine Thalaivaa or Kamal playing second or third lead in movies,” she remarked.

“I understand that earlier they did not have the kind of reach or the platforms that are available today. The times have changed now, the world knows these stars from the South,” she said.

Speaking about the casting of South Indian stars in the mainstream Hindi films, Khushbu said that it was for the Hindi film-makers to decide whether they will ever have the courage to make a film with a South Indian hero. “You call them pan-India stars, but do you have the courage to cast Rajnikanth or Kamal Hassan, or the new generation stars, in the main role and make a single-hero film?” she asked.

To further strengthen her point, the actor spoke about “Loveyapa”, featuring Junaid Khan and Khushi Kapoor in the lead roles. The debut of Aamir Khan’s son is a Hindi remake of Pradeep Ranganathan’s Tamil film ‘Love Today’, which was released in 2022.

“They made the film with Aamir Khan’s son in the lead role. It was a big hit in Tamil. So, when you are remaking it in Hindi, why don’t you cast the same Pradeep Ranganathan, who has become a huge star, in the Hindi version? Because they feel that the North Indian audience may not accept him. Now they are remaking Dragon in Hindi. This is where the change happens—you (the Hindi film industry) want Hindi-speaking and bankable heroes. The barrier is still there,” she said.

The session also included Nagarjuna, Anupam Kher, and Karthi. Earlier, speaking at the session, actor Nagarjuna said that now the northern audience wants to see heroes like Pushpa Raj, K.G.F’s Rocky, or Baahubali. “As a result, films like Pushpa ended up earning more in non-Telugu languages,” he said.

“The common man, the general viewing public, not just that, I also like to watch my hero very, very deeply. When I see Prabhas or Allu Arjun or anyone on screen doing this, I clap and listen, and that’s where I’m basically an Indian, that’s where it comes from,” he went on to add.

“As long as we’re rooted to the stories. SS Rajamouli shot Baahubali frame by frame, thinking of it as a Telugu film. He was very proud of where he came from, about his language, about everything. And he shot it as a Telugu film. People lapped it up everywhere—not just here, but even in Japan, China, everywhere. As long as we are proud of our own culture, our own language, and our own thoughts, we are through. That’s what makes it a pan-world phenomenon,” concluded the actor.

In the same session, Anupam Kher spoke about the shift in the attitude of the Hindi film industry towards regional cinema in recent times. “That perception shifted completely during the COVID-19 pandemic. With no access to theatres and limited entertainment options, audiences turned to streaming platforms and started watching Malayalam, Telugu, and Tamil films. They discovered a cinematic world that, if not more superior, is certainly equally talented.”