What 'Rangasthalam', 'Bharat Ane Nenu' and 'Mahanati', between them, have achieved in the US is more than stellar. As per trade pundits, by clocking more than USD 9 million (3.5M + 3.5M + 2M, respectively), the films have come to bear testimony to Tollywood's commercial prowess.

This has to be seen in the context of Bollywood films finding it difficult to sustain their market value against the growing popularity of Hollywood movies. In recent weeks, 'Avengers Infinity War' has effectively been bad news for Hindi movies in the domestic market. But South Indian movies, especially Telugu movies, are unfazed.

For large sections of Overseas audiences, Telugu films, not their Hindi counterparts, have come to be the "first choice", says a trade analyst.

Not just in the US, but also in Australia, the stocks of Tollywood are rising. Ram Charan's 'Rangasthalam' and Mahesh Babu's 'BAN' have opened in the top slot this year in Aus.