The debate between Bollywood and South Indian cinema has once again erupted. Recently, during a round table discussion, a heated debate between veteran Bollywood producer Boney Kapoor and Telugu producer Naga Vamsi gave rise to this issue.
During the discussion, Naga Vamsi said that Bollywood films are mostly made for elite areas like Bandra and Juhu. Whereas, South Indian cinema has given a new way of thinking to Bollywood.
To this Boney Kapoor immediately replied, 'Hindi cinema has its own identity and has given iconic films that have shaped Indian cinema. The influence of films from the South is appreciable, but the contribution of Bollywood should not be overlooked.
After Vamsi's statement and Boney Kapoor's reaction, a debate started on social media. Many big filmmakers have also given their reaction on this.
Filmmaker Hansal Mehta expressed anger at Vamsi's statement, calling it arrogant and belittling Bollywood. Hansel wrote on X, 'This man, Sri Naga Vamsi, has a very arrogant attitude. Now that we know who he is, his latest hit 'Lucky Bhaskar' has taken inspiration from the 'Scam' series itself.
He further wrote, 'I am raising this issue because I am happy that stories cross over from one place to another and even a film made in a different language makes our success our own. After all, everyone wins. No one is greater than the other. This idea is very harmful. Arrogance is more dangerous.
On his social media handle, Hansal Mehta shared a clip of Naga Vamsi, in which Vamsi was saying that when 'Pushpa' grossed Rs 80 crore at the domestic box office, all the people of Mumbai would have stayed up all night. Along with the video, the filmmaker wrote, 'Chill out dude, whatever. I live in Mumbai, I sleep very well.
Reposting his post, Siddharth Anand wrote, 'Mumbai has always been the city that never sleeps'. It seems some people don't know our real Mumbai and another thing, 'I actually stayed in Bandra and Juhu.'
Director Sanjay Gupta tweeted, 'Who is this, who is flaunting his false importance by sitting with a senior producer like Boney G? Look at his body language and obnoxious attitude. He has not become the father of Bollywood by giving 4/5 hits and will never be.'
People discussed this issue a lot on the internet. Some seemed to agree with Vamsi and said that southern cinema has indeed given new energy. While, many found Vamsi's tone arrogant and said that every industry should be respected. Indian cinema is not a competition between north and south.
Clarity of Naga Vamsi As the class escalated, Naga Vamsi clarified and said, 'My words were not meant to insult Boney ji or Bollywood. It was a healthy discussion and we laughed and hugged each other after the interview. He praised the legacy of Bollywood' but stood by his statement saying that the influence of South cinema has increased.
The Bollywood vs. South cinema debate is not new, but it has gained momentum in the last few years. South films like 'Baahubali', 'RRR' and 'Pushpa' are not only breaking records at the box office, but also garnering appreciation for their innovative story and visual effects.
Bollywood is often accused of focusing too much on remakes and formulaic films. Now the audience prefers to watch stories that are new and connected to life and South films are ahead in this regard.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
