A heated exchange between Bollywood producer Boney Kapoor and South Indian film producer Naga Vamsi unfolded during a producers’ roundtable hosted by Galatta Plus. The discussion centered on the differences between Bollywood and South Indian cinema, with both producers offering differing views on the current state of the film industry.
Boney Kapoor shared his thoughts on the international success of South Indian films, stating that while Telugu films have a strong market in the US, Tamil films are widely appreciated in Singapore and Malaysia. He also highlighted the Gulf region as a cosmopolitan hub for films from across India. However, Naga Vamsi disagreed, asserting that South Indian films have reshaped Bollywood’s approach to cinema. Vamsi boldly stated, “You [Bollywood] were stuck making films for Bandra and Juhu. You witnessed a change with Baahubali, RRR, Animal, and Jawan.”
Boney, visibly displeased, responded by shaking his head and defending Bollywood. He expressed that language was not the barrier to good cinema, but rather the quality of the films. Boney further mentioned that he had always respected South Indian cinema, pointing to the success of films like “Baahubali” and “RRR.” He added, “Even the hero of Pushpa 2, Allu Arjun, has often spoken about his admiration for Amitabh Bachchan, not just N.T. Rama Rao.”
The discussion took a personal turn when Naga Vamsi pointed out that Boney had highlighted the success of Telugu films while not naming a Hindi film in his examples. Boney countered by reminding Vamsi that the conversation needed to remain broad, and that the focus on historical films was not to exclude Hindi cinema.
The back-and-forth continued as Naga Vamsi credited recent hits such as Baahubali, RRR, KGF 2, and Pushpa 2: The Rule for changing the way Hindi cinema was perceived. In response, Boney reminded him of the groundbreaking success of films like Hum Aapke Hain Koun, Gadar, and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge in Hindi cinema.
Both producers are highly influential in their respective industries, with Naga Vamsi producing popular South films such as Bheemla Nayak and Rang De, while Boney Kapoor is known for hits like Mr. India, No Entry, and Mom.
Their clash highlights the ongoing debate about the divide between Bollywood and regional cinema, with both sides claiming their place in the evolution of Indian film.
