From 'Baahubali' to Allu Arjun's 'Pushpa': Films that transformed Tollywood into a pan-India powerhouse

Although it was the Malayalam film 'My Dear Kuttichathan' which slowly started the idea of a reaching out to a wider audience rather than limiting within a certain industry, one cannot forget the impact that SS Rajamouli's films have made and coined the term 'Pan Indian' films. Pan-India films have played a major role in shifting Telugu cinema into a global force. What was once considered a regional industry has now become one of the most influential segments of Indian cinema. With strong storytelling, large-scale production, and also with universal themes, Telugu films have consistently pushed boundaries. Tollywood was an industry which was limited to it's audiences only and only Allu Arjun films were the ones that broke out the shell and reached out to some of the audiences beyond the Telugu speaking region.The turning point came with Baahubali: The Beginning and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion which are directed by S. S. Rajamouli. These films introduced audiences to epic storytelling, massive scale, and cutting-edge visual effects.Baahubali 2 went on to become the first Indian film to cross Rs 1,000 crore worldwide and surpassed Rs 1,800 crore. The franchise also established Hyderabad as a major production hub and also sparked the pan-India film movement.Following the success of 'Baahubali', 'RRR' further elevated Telugu cinema on the global stage. Directed by Rajamouli, the film blended high-octane action with emotional storytelling and patriotic themes.Starring Ram Charan and Jr. NTR, the film grossed over Rs 1,200 crore worldwide with our ETimes review saying, "RRR is not perfection by any means because after the way Rajamouli pulls off certain scenes, you wonder if he could’ve done a better job in others. But watch this one this weekend if you’ve been longing for a good action packed drama. Especially so if you're a fan of the lead duo."The momentum continued with Allu Arjun's 'Pushpa: The Rise' and its sequel 'Pushpa 2: The Rule', starring Allu Arjun.'Pushpa 2' emerged as one of the highest-grossing Indian films ever, with estimates ranging between Rs 1,600–1,800 crore worldwide. The franchise strengthened Allu Arjun's stardom across the industries.The evolution of Telugu cinema continues with ambitious projects like the Prabhas starrer 'Kalki 2898 AD', directed by Nag Ashwin. This science fiction epic blends mythology with futuristic storytelling which pays tribute to iconic Hollywood films like 'Star Wars' or even 'Dune'.Starring Prabhas, the film has already crossed Rs 1,000 crore. Similarly, films like 'Salaar' have continued the trend of high-budget.As reported by OTT Play, earlier in a chat with the media, Prithviraj Sukumaran opened up about 'Jana Gana Mana' by saying, "In truth, a pan-Indian film is a movie that has pan-Indian content; a movie that people from anywhere can watch and relate to. In that regard, I truly believe Jana Gana Mana is a pan-Indian film."While it's a good thing for a movie to attain 'Pan Indian' status and reach out to a wider audiences, majority of the films seem to be simply attaining the label for attention, rather than looking at whether the content connects with the audiences across the industries.