In the 1990s, quite a few south Indian stars used to vie for stardom in Bollywood. In the case of Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, the attempts started in the 1980s, although they didn't compromise on quality in the name of pursuing pan-India stardom. The southern actors were content with their popularity in their respective fiefdoms. When Hindi offers came their way, they latched on to them thoughtfully.

Chiranjeevi's 1992 Hindi film 'Aaj Ka Goonda Raaj' was a remake of 'Gang Leader'. It was a hit, although Megastar's fans might have expected it to become a bigger hit. 'Anari', the remake of 'Chanti', was one of the biggest grossers of 1993. Akkineni Nagarjuna played an important role in 'Kuda Gawah', the Hindi-language epic drama co-starring Amitabh Bachchan and Sridevi. Be it extended cameos, guest roles, supporting characters, or lead roles, our actors tried all options in Bollywood. However, they couldn't sustain themselves for different reasons.

In a reversal of sorts, it's not southern stars/film personalities who are seeking fame in Bollywood. It's the other way round now. The Hindi film industry is now attempting to use the power of brand names like Chiranjeevi and SS Rajamouli to uplift their films down South.

'Laal Singh Chaddha' is Aamir Khan's first major attempt to consciously go pan-India. The multi-lingual release will come out on August 11. He is elated that Megastar Chiranjeevi is presenting the Telugu-dubbed version.

'Brahmastra' is Ranbir Kapoor's maiden attempt to deliver a pan-India hit. The September 9th release has SS Rajamouli presenting the movie in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada (all of which are dubbed versions).

It seems much more is going to come soon. The likes of Ram Charan, Jr NTR, Allu Arjun and Mahesh Babu have enormous brand value. Some day, Vijay Deverakonda might present a pan-India film from Bollywood in Telugu. Among Telugu filmmakers, Sukumar enjoys familiarity with the likes of Raj Kumar Hirani.