During the promotions of Sikandar, Salman Khan spoke about how South Indian audiences don’t watch Hindi films in theatres, while Hindi audiences embrace South Indian superstars’ films. Now, in a conversation with DNA India, Nani has refuted Salman’s statement and highlighted how culturally significant Salman’s films are in the South. (Also Read: Nani gets irritated with fan filming him, Srinidhi Shetty on Alipiri steps in Tirupati. Watch)
When asked about the perceived lack of importance of Bollywood in the South, Nani said, “That (Hindi cinema) is original; this (South cinema) came later. The love South cinema is receiving now is recent. But the love Bollywood has received in the South has been there for decades. If you ask anyone there, ‘What’s your favourite Hindi film?’, they will have childhood memories of Amitabh Bachchan. They’ll talk about so many films. We always watched Hindi films — Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Dil Toh Pagal Hai were blockbusters in Hyderabad and other southern states. Everyone is now lapping up South films, but Hindi cinema was always embraced across the country.”
Nani says South audience loves Salman Khan
He further responded to Salman’s statement, saying, “Nahi, waha nahi chale? Bina chale kaise superstar ban gaye? 100% chalti hai (No, they didn’t work there? How did they become superstars without succeeding? They definitely work 100%), and we all love him. We’ve all watched so many of Salman’s films. Movies like Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! hold cultural importance there. Didi Tera Devar Deewana and other songs — we used to play them at our weddings.”
What Salman Khan said
While speaking to the media during Sikandar promotions, Salman had remarked on Bollywood films’ limited crossover into the South, “When my film is released there, it doesn’t get the numbers because their fan following is very strong. I’ll walk on the street, and they’ll say, ‘Bhai, Bhai’, but they won’t go to the theatres. The way we’ve accepted them here hasn’t happened there. Their films do well because we go and see them — like those of Rajinikanth sir, Chiranjeevi garu, Suriya or Ram Charan. But their fans don’t go to see our films.”
Nani’s upcoming film
Meanwhile, Nani is gearing up for the release of his action thriller directed by Sailesh Kolanu. The film stars Nani and Srinidhi Shetty in the lead roles, alongside Adil Pala, Rao Ramesh, Brahmaji, and Maganti Srinath. It is set to hit cinemas on May 1.
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