Box Office India Records

Riding piggy back on the success of hit Hindi titles are South films looking to make a quick buck

William Shakespeare wasn’t an avid Hindi film fan, nor was he a fan of South films. But if he was, well, we’re sure he would pardon us for disagreeing with his famous words: ‘A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.’
To the South film industry, ‘a rose by any other name would smell even sweeter’, when dubbed in Hindi and re-released for the non-South audience. They are thus released in cinemas, on television and on the digital platform, with one crucial change – they now bear Hindi titles that draw on the names of hit and super hit Hindi movies.
They have just one sole objective – to stir the imagination of the masses and reel them in. Add to this the fact that these South films often have huge South actors playing the pivotal roles, and it doubles the chances of their success at the box office or ability to garner impressive TRPs.


The list is endless but here are a few South films dubbed in Hindi that have incorporated the titles of hit Hindi movies: Kaabil Deewana , a dubbed Telugu film featuring Ram Charan and Kajal Aggarwal, Happy New Year 2, a dubbed Telugu film featuring Mahesh Babu and Samantha; Main Hoon Na 2, a dubbed Telugu film featuring Pawan Kalyan and Tamannah; Bajrangi Policewala, a dubbed Telugu film featuring Mahesh Babu  and Shruti Haasan; Rowdy Cheetah, a dubbed Telugu film featuring Mahesh Babu and Prakash Raj; and Kapoors The Criminals, a dubbed Telugu film featuring Vijay, Sathyaraj, Amala Paul and Abhimanyu Singh. The list is seemingly endless… but you get the point, right?
The titles of the dubbed films are not quite as random as they seem. As soon as a big-budget Hindi film is announced, in no time, the South Indian industry capitalises on the title and either dubs an old film in Hindi and gives it a similar title or releases a dubbed version in Hindi, of a film that is releasing at the same time.
If you include online video sharing platforms, these dubbed films generate a lot of traffic. Surprisingly, they also seem to have loyal viewers for their satellite telecast!
One can’t help but marvel at the ‘creativity’ of these regional filmmakers, who come up with these quirky titles. This week, we seek the opinion of the trade on why these South films are given Hindi titles and what are the benefits to be gained from this practice.



Arun Dubey, Cinema Owner, Amravati
While the theatrical release of these dubbed and rechristened films might not benefit greatly, the digital and satellite releases of these films are positively impacted. The film itself may or may not be popular but the Hindi title captures the imagination of the audience. Besides, these films have big stars from the South, like Vijay, Allu Arjun and Ravi Teja, and this boosts their prospects.
But bear in mind that the title is carefully chosen so as to relate to the content of the film. The South filmmakers are so ingenuous that if the South dubbed film is a romantic film, then it is given the title of a famous Bollywood romantic film, just so that the audience connects with it.




 Pankaj Shah, Cinema Owner, Nizam
These regional films not only cash-in on the title of Hindi films but also on the actors attached to these Hindi films. Shah Rukh Khan’s film titles are the most popular – Raees – in recent times. These South dubbed films are given Bollywood hit film titles that match their content and story. It is a great advantage for the dubbed film to carry these hit titles because of the familiarity factor. It gives the dubbed film a huge advantage. It doesn’t matter who the director is, the story or background; if the Hindi film is a hit, the audience will believe that even the dubbed film with a similar title will be good to watch.



Pushpa Suchanti
Cinema Owner, SahebGanJIt’s very simple… these South dubbed films would not do great business if people did not relate to them, and the easiest way to connect with the audience is by making them connect to your film via its title. For instance, let’s say a Shah Rukh Khan film titled Raees is about to release or has been announced. These South dubbed films, which have released before, will rerelease again or a new film will be announced with a title similar to the Hindi film, like Raees Damaad.



Chandrashekar Porwal,Cinema Manager, Pune
This is an old practice. No doubt, these regional films have a huge star cast but these actors have gained popularity across the country only after their films were constantly aired on television. The title of a film is the first thing that connects with the audience, which is why these films borrow titles from hit Hindi films. Sometimes, the regional filmmakers match the genre of their film with that of the Hindi superstar. So, for instance, if the dubbed film bears the title of a Shah Rukh Khan film, it is likely to be a romantic film and if it is Salman Khan’s title, the genre is likely to be action. Borrowing titles directly impacts the film’s box-office collections.



 Swatantrata Pandey, Cinema Manager, Gorakhpur
South dubbed films take Bollywood titles just to make the cinema and television audience assume that the film has some connection to a hit Hindi film. So, there are dubbed films with titles like Don No 1 or International Don and so on. Once a Hindi film becomes a hit, its title is repeatedly used for South dubbed films. I hear the latest are titles such as Aa Gaya Jolly LLB, Sultan Ka Fan, Kapoors The Criminals, Sultan No 1 and Raees Damaad. These titles might sound funny but they mint money with their digital release and television premieres. They don’t do very well in cinemas but they do make enough money to cover their expenses. Also, these films feature big South stars, which is a plus. That’s why , for instance, Allu Arjun has fans in Bihar or Ravi Teja is very popular in UP!




 Kalapi Shah, Founder-Owner, Cinekorn Entertainment
These titles are clearly bait for the audience but it is unethical. This is done because, on YouTube, there are no restrictions on titles. And that is why this trend is picking up. Obviously, South dubbed films with Hindi titles are minting money because if people come across a title that sounds like it is related to, say, Raees, this sticks in their mind. Moreover, when the film features a known star, people are more likely to click on these titles, online. The greater the number of clicks, the more money is made.