One of the many reasons I loved Game of Thrones is that the capital of the seven kingdoms, King’s Landing, was in the south. Growing up in a country where things are skewed in favour of the north – even in the number of parliamentary constituencies – it was somewhat surprising to see that the political power radiated bottom-up in the American series. The playing field felt uneven, and funnily, even the English phrases ‘looking up’ and ‘looking down’ seemed a bit hostile to the south. Hence, any success from here that turns people towards the southern direction is relished, and that’s why there’s a brimming love for people like AR Rahman, Viswanathan Anand, APJ Abdul Kalam, PV Sindhu, SS Rajamouli, and today’s birthday boy Prabhas. Maybe, that’s why even the horrible CGI works of Prabhas’ upcoming film, Adipurush, found some defenders. Maybe, that’s why his win seems important, personal opinion about his films notwithstanding.
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You see, the image Prabhas has created post the success of Baahubali is something many south actors have enjoyed for a while over the decades. Even before pan-Indian cinema became a thing, actors from down south aimed to create a market for themselves across the country. Superstar Rajinikanth, after doing several shelved Hindi projects, finally made his debut with Andha Kanoon (1983), which was a runaway hit. He went on to act in Bhagwaan Dada (1986), Bewafai (1985), Chaalbaaz (1989), and Hum (1991). Though things did work in favour of Thalaivar, he couldn’t pull off a solo blockbuster. On the other hand, Kamal Haasan was able to pull off that feat with Ek Duje Ke Liye (1981), Sanam Teri Kasam (1982), and Chachi 420 (1997). Telugu stars Chiranjeevi and Nagarjuna have tried their hands at Hindi cinema. However, these actors were aware enough to know that they wouldn’t be as efficient in Bombay as they would be in their respective home ground.
But, things have changed, especially with the advent of technological processes like subtitling and dubbing having become commonplace. The digital age has also made bilingual and multilingual features everyday affairs. Recently, it was announced that Suriya’s upcoming film with Siva will be released in not four or five but ten languages. Even a hyperlocal film like Kantara is relished by someone way up in the north, who is completely dissociated from the folklore of Karnataka. The Hindi version of the film is giving Hindi original releases like Doctor G and Goodbye a run for their money. As Parasite director Bong Joon-ho requested, we have started to overcome “the one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles.” At such a point in time, we have Prabhas having not one but three pan-India projects — Adipurush, Salaar, and Project K. It will be interesting to see if the Telugu hero pulls off the position in Indian cinema, which was coveted by many of his predecessors.
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On the other hand, with his earlier pan-Indian attempts – Saaho and Radhe Shyam – biting the dust, and with Adipurush already turning out to be fodder for memes, it looks like history will repeat itself. However, Salaar and Project K look promising. Prashanth Neel, the director of KGF, is directing Salaar, while Nag Ashwin, a sensible director known for Mahanati, is helming Project K. Hence, the hope for Prabhas becoming a pan-Indian star is still alive. Or, it might be that one India, one cinema, one superstar is not a collective dream, despite many wanting it to be.
