Rising Opportunities for Tamil Directors in the Hindi Film Industry

From legendary Tamil filmmakers like Bheem Singh to K. Balachander, Bharathiraja, Mani Ratnam, and recently Atlee, Tamil directors have ventured into Hindi cinema. Opportunities for Tamil filmmakers in Bollywood have been growing in recent years. A.R. Murugadoss has already directed Bollywood hits starring top actors like Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar and is now helming the Salman Khan-starrer “Sikandar,” with Rashmika Mandanna as the lead actress.

Atlee, known for Tamil blockbusters, directed the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer “Jawan,” a movie that grossed over ₹1000 crores. He is rumored to direct Salman Khan in another grand Bollywood project, also starring Rashmika. Lokesh Kanagaraj, a leading Tamil director, is directing Rajinikanth’s “Coolie” and is said to helm a superhero film with Aamir Khan in the future. Arun Matheswaran, known for films like “Rocky” and “Captain Miller,” is working on a biopic of Ilaiyaraaja. After that, he plans to direct a Hindi film produced by T-Series, who also back director Rajkumar Periyasamy’s Bollywood project.

Vishnuvardhan, who directed the Bollywood hit “Shershaah,” is also set to direct his next Hindi film. There is a rising demand for South Indian directors, not just Tamil filmmakers, but Telugu and Malayalam directors as well. For instance, Telugu filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s “Animal” performed surprisingly well despite mixed reviews. South Indian directors’ efficiency in completing shoots in a shorter timeframe is another reason why Bollywood producers seek them.

Malayalam director Rosshan Andrrews has directed a Hindi film titled “Deva,” while Telugu’s Gopichand Malineni is working on “Jatt,” featuring Sunny Deol. Several more South Indian directors like Chidambaram of “Manchumall Boys” fame are upcoming names in Bollywood.