Tamil cinema has always had a strong presence in South Indian entertainment, but in recent years, many Tamil actors have been making a significant shift towards Telugu cinema.
The Telugu public has always welcomed Tamil actors, such as Vijay, Ajith, Suriya, Dhanush, and Rajinikanth, making them household names in both industries.
Several Tamil movies have achieved huge success in the Telugu market, sometimes even outselling their original Tamil box office collections. Why, then, are Tamil actors heading straight to Telugu cinema?
One of the major reasons is the wider audience and box office pull that Telugu cinema offers. Several Tamil films, when dubbed in Telugu, fare better than their Tamil collections, which encourages actors to make a foray into direct Telugu films.
Some of the prominent examples include Vijay's Master (2021), which collected substantially in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Kamal Haasan's Vikram (2022), which received a massive response in Telugu states, and Rajinikanth's movies such as 2.0 and Jailer, which did extremely well in the Telugu market.
Better pay is another propelling force. As Telugu producers consider these actors bankable, they are prepared to offer them much higher salaries than Tamil producers.
For instance, Vijay was reportedly paid Rs 120-150 crore for Varisu, a Tamil-Telugu bilingual, while Dhanush demanded Rs 25-30 crore for Sir, another bilingual movie. With such fat paychecks, Tamil actors make Telugu movies a money-making proposition.
Telugu cinema also offers better production values and pan-Indian penetration. After the massive success of Baahubali, Pushpa, and RRR, Telugu cinema has become the face of Indian cinema worldwide.
Most Tamil actors now regard Telugu cinema as a way of accessing a wider audience outside South India.
Suriya has signed a Telugu film recently and it is titled Suriya 46. As per a report, the actor is getting paid Rs 60 crores as remuneration. Vijay Sethupathi has signed a Telugu film with Puri Jagannadh and is said to be getting a hefty pay cheque for it. Kamal Haasan, on the other hand, is said to have charged Rs 150 crore to play the antagonist in Kalki 2898AD.
Large-scale productions, better technical standards, and big promotions make Telugu films more appealing to stars in search of pan-Indian acceptance. Another important reason for this change is the commercial nature of the Telugu industry. Compared to Kollywood, which sometimes struggles with budget constraints and star-driven productions, Tollywood ensures that actors get their payments on time and provides large-scale promotions.
The well-organised production and distribution system in Telugu cinema provides actors with a more secure and professional environment.
However, this trend poses several challenges to Tamil cinema. Tamil producers are losing their stars as Telugu producers bid them away.
The sector is also experiencing budget inflation, as actors are calling for the same hefty checks in Tamil cinema, which makes production more costly.
Also, few actors are opting for Telugu commitments over Tamil projects, thereby delaying their mother industry.
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