The term “pan-India” became popular after Baahubali’s success, referring to films that transcend language barriers.
However, in the past decade, it has mostly applied to South Indian films crossing into the Hindi market, not the other way around.
Salman Khan believes Bollywood films struggle in the South because audiences there prefer their local stars and do not watch Hindi films in theatres.
While promoting Sikandar, Salman explained that Bollywood lacks crossover appeal in the South despite Hindi audiences embracing South films.
When asked about casting South stars in Bollywood, he pointed out that budget constraints and the need for the right script make such collaborations difficult. He cited Ramayana, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Yash, and Sai Pallavi, as an example.
Salman’s Sikandar releases on May 30 alongside L2: Empuraan and Jaat. He hopes audiences will support all three films in theatres during the Eid celebrations.