Atlee Kumar, on a high following the success of his 2023 hit "Jawan," refutes this "Pan-Indian" tag. He feels the language barriers just give way to captivating stories, as has been proven by regional blockbusters such as "KGF" and "Pushpa." He believes Indian movies should unite around their identity by synchronizing with stories from across the country rather than relying on labels.

For Shah Rukh Khan, "the world's biggest movie star," Atlee is making sure his film is a lot larger-than-life than "Jawan." His next film, the remake of his own "Theri" into Bollywood with Varun Dhawan, will add a new feather to his cap.

And that's the power Atlee emphasizes in the content, not a formula or label. He looks forward to audiences across the country connecting with stories irrespective of their origin, especially in India, where films are made for people and not for niches as a regional industry.

The admiration for Shah Rukh Khan is very deep here. The latter referred to him as the face of Indian cinema worldwide and promised a project much larger in scale than that of "Jawan." Another exciting chapter he will add to his journey is the upcoming "Baby John," with Varun Dhawan as lead, which is a Bollywood remake of the Tamil movie "Theri" by Atlee.