The success and popularity of Southern cinema is rising exponentially in Hindi speaking regions lately and several Bollywood stars have shared their opinions on the same. While some believe that it is merely a phase which will pass soon, there are others who consider this as a wake call for Bollywood. Actor Manoj Bajpayee certainly falls in the latter category.

In a recent conversation with TOI, Manoj stated that success of blockbusters like 'KGF: Chapter 2' and 'RRR' has created a feeling of dread in mainstream Bollywood filmmakers. "Itni blockbuster ho rahi hai (from the south)... forget about Manoj Bajpayee and the likes of me for a minute, it has sent a shiver down the spine of all the mainstream filmmakers from the Mumbai film industry. They really don’t know where to look," he stated.

Sharing what makes Southern film industries more professional than Bollywood, Manoj said, "They are unapologetic, they are passionate, and every shot they take as if they are taking the best shot in the world. And so much thought and passion goes into it. Not even once do they talk about the audience in a demeaning way. They don’t say that the audience will understand. ‘ Yeh massy hai, yeh chal jayega’ – they never talk in this language."

He concluded by saying, "We started thinking about mainstream films only in terms of money and box office. Hum criticise nahi kar sakte na apne aap ko. So hum unko ‘different’ keh kar alag kar denge. But it’s a lesson. This is a lesson for Mumbai industry mainstream filmmakers on how to make mainstream cinema."