No one can write off Bollywood, says Basil Joseph amid debates

The rise of the South Indian film industry across the screens in India is fuelling the debate over Bollywood losing out to regional film industries. The recent success of 'K.G.F.: Chapter Two' has led to the talk of Bollywood losing its charm while regional filmmakers are exploring new heights.

Malayalam filmmaker Basil Joseph said we cannot just write off Bollywood because the recent events will only push Bollywood to get back to the table and work hard with determination to come out stronger. He added that Bollywood will eventually push the envelope for Indian cinema as a whole.

Mr Joseph is known for directing Kerala's first superhero film 'Minnal Murali'. The film went against cliches and became a nuanced work of art set against the usual characteristics plaguing the genre. The movie was released on Netflix which gave it a wider reach.

The new-gen director thinks a new dawn is waiting for Indian cinema when new opportunities for filmmakers from the south are combined with the worldwide exhibition power of the OTT platform. He added that South Indian content breaking into new territories gives a string of opportunities to storytellers.

He noted that South Indian filmmakers have a penchant for creating path-breaking stories and treatments. In the past few months, south Indian films like 'Pushpa: The Rise', 'RRR', and 'K.G.F: Chapter Two' were released in multiple languages including Hindi. They outperformed Bollywood films and garnered appreciation from both critics and the audience.

Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor recently said that he is not surprised by the wave of films from the South created across India. "They've always made fantastic films and will continue to do so. They have always been an inspiration". The actor began his career by playing the lead in a Telugu movie.

Amid the criticism Bollywood faced for not being relatable, Salman Khan had asked the media why Hindi films don't do well in the South. KGF actor Yash answered the question by saying dubbing into a language the local population understands plays a big role.

Basil Joseph told IANS that south Indian filmmakers now have the confidence to cut through physical boundaries. "Our stories are going international and now are being looked at from a very broad vantage point". He added that artists from the South think and conceive ideas more responsibly.

Speaking on the heated comparison between Bollywood and regional cinema, Basil said we need to see every movie as an Indian movie.