Nagarjuna on appeal of films like 'Pushpa', 'KGF' and 'Baahubali': 'They work as stressbusters for Indian audiences'

They may get harshly dismissed by the "elite" circle of film buffs but the success of films like Pushpa, RRR, and KGF is proof that there will always be an audience for big-scale mass entertainers as long as they appeal to the sensibilities of a wider audience, especially in the north. This was brought up by superstar Nagarjuna at the WAVES event in Mumbai during an interaction titled "Pan-Indian Cinema: Myth or Momentum?"

Citing the appeal of larger-than-life heroes in South Indian cinema, the Shiva actor said, "Both the Pushpa films made more money in the north than in Telugu. We have seen similar kinds of stories in Telugu before Pushpa and it was nothing new for us whereas, in the north, in Bihar, Punjab and UP, they wanted to see heroes like Pushpa or Yash's Rocky from KGF or (Prabhas') Baahubali."

The actor rightly pointed out that such films function as great stressbusters for people who need to let off steam and seek escapism after a hard day at work. "For Indian people, just living day-to-day itself is very difficult. And when they want to overcome stress by watching movies, they want to see magic on screen."

It's important, however, to note that such entertainers will do wonders only when they are rooted and accessible to every audience member and Nagarjuna mentions the films of SS Rajamouli as perfect examples of this. "Rajamouli shot Baahubali frame to frame, thinking he was making a Telugu film. He was very proud of his roots and language, and he shot it like a Telugu film, and people loved it across the world. If you are rooted to your storytelling, it will resonate," he said.

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