A shift in filmmaker preferences

Filmmakers from the south are commended for presenting actors as larger-than-life heroes

- Lata Jha

Top Bollywood stars are increasingly choosing to work with filmmakers from the south, who are believed to have a better understanding of mass-market commercial cinema, rather than Hindi film directors that often seem to cater to upmarket, urban audiences. While Shah Rukh Khan and Ranbir Kapoor have tasted success this year with Jawan and Animal, directed by Atlee and Sandeep Reddy Vanga, respectively, Varun Dhawan is now working in a film backed by Atlee. Actor Shahid Kapoor will be seen in a film called Deva next October, directed by Rosshan Andrrews, known for Malayalam blockbusters such as Salute and Kayamkulam Kochunni. These filmmakers are commended for presenting actors as larger-than-life heroes, instead of realistic characters that Hindi cinema increasingly taps into.