Top 10 South Indian Movies

Motion pictures, often known as a film or movies, are collections of static images on film that are rapidly and successively projected onto a screen using light. This creates the appearance of true, smooth, continuous movement due to the optical phenomena known as the persistence of perception. Films are a very effective medium for conveying drama and, in particular, for eliciting emotion. Motion picture art is extremely complicated, needing contributions from almost all other disciplines and a wide range of technical abilities.

The term "Southern Indian movies" refers to the combined movies of four different cinema industries of Sandalwood (Kannada), Mollywood (Malayalam), Tollywood (Telugu), and Kollywood as a unified entity.

South Indian films are an intriguing kind of cinema that incorporates romance, humor, drama, and musical aspects. Since the 1930s, the South Indian cinema industry has existed for a long time. However, they weren't as popular as Bollywood since they were just for a specific group of people, and that group was very small compared to the size of the Hindi-speaking populace.

Additionally, as these states' populations and box office receipts expanded over time, so did their respective popularity. In the 1990s, Rajnikanth, Kamal Hassan, Mohan Lal, Anant Nag, and Chiranjeevi became well-known Bollywood actors due to their enormous success in the South. The South Asian film business is expanding daily due to the best-possible utilization of technology and processes.

They provide high-class action for the viewers, and their films always feature something unique. Along with the gravity of the films, its performers and directors also produce excellent comedies. South Indian films, whether in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, or Malayalam, strongly emphasize the geographical setting. They narrate tales that reflect the politics, social structure, dialect, culture, and way of life of the inhabitants of their particular places. Without further ado, let's see the list of the top 10 south Indian movies:-

1. KGF Chapter 1

At the movie office, this Kannada action period drama brought the year 2015 to a successful conclusion. Rocky, the main character, travels to Mumbai for riches and power but becomes entangled in the web of Gold Mafia machinations.

At the time of its release, it had the highest budget of any Kannada movie, costing 800 million rupees, or almost $910 million. KGF: Chapter 1 had the best first-day total in the Kannada cinema industry, earning 250 million (which, in 2020, would be 280 million or US$3.6 million). Numerous well-known figures in the South Indian film industry gave the movie high marks. V. Vijayendra Prasad, Rajamouli's father, wrote the screenplay.

S.S. Rajamouli served as the film's director, and Shobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devineni served as its producers. At the 66th National Film Awards, the movie won two awards for Best Special Effects and Best Stunt Choreography. At the 66th Filmfare Awards South, the film received two awards out of five nominations, including Best Film and Best Actor for Yash.

2. K.G.F: Chapter 2

Vijay Kiragandur, working under the banner of Hombale Films, wrote, directed, and produced this 2022 Indian period action film in the Kannada language. It is a continuation of a two-part series and K.G.F: Chapter 1's 2018 sequel.

With a 100 crore budget, K.G.F: Chapter 2 is the most expensive Kannada film ever made. It surpassed Kannada, Hindi, and Malayalam film opening day records to become India's second-highest opening day. It quickly surpassed the lifetime profits of its predecessor to become the highest-grossing Kannada film.

The film received a score of 4.5/5 in rating from Bollywood Hungama's Taran Adarsh, who also praised all significant production elements, saying that it "has a new, international appearance and doesn't look like a regional picture at all." The screenplay and premise, in the opinion of Firstpost's Subha J. Rao was "much superior" to Chapter 1 and earned the movie four out of five stars. It received a comparable four out of five stars from Sunayana Suresh of The Times of India, who also stated that "Neel and Yash have managed to offer a sequel that appears more engrossing than the first portion."

It has a worldwide revenue of ₹1,200-₹1,250 crores. It is the highest-grossing Indian film of 2022, the second-highest Indian film globally, and the third-highest Indian film overall. The film earned ₹1,006 crores ($130 million) in 14 days, making it the fourth Indian film to surpass the ₹1000 crore milestone globally. The movie earned between ₹1233 and ₹1240 crores in domestic box office receipts and ₹1250 crores internationally, making it the third-highest-grossing Indian movie of all time.

3. Baahubali: The Beginning

This is a 2015 Indian epic action movie that Shobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devineni, under the banner of Arka Media Works, co-wrote and directed with S. S. Rajamouli. The film was the most expensive in India at the time of its release, costing ₹180 crore rupees ($28 million). Up until Kabali overtook it in 2016 with an opening day gross of ₹87.5 crores (US$11 million), Baahubali: The Beginning had the greatest opening day gross for an Indian film with a total of ₹75 crores (US$9.4 million).

The Hindi and Malayalam dubs of the movie also had their global premieres on July 10, 2015. All of its versions' first weekends grossed roughly ₹165.1 crore (US$21 million), which is the fourth-largest opening weekend for an Indian movie globally and the most for an Indian movie ever in India. International Business Times calculated that the movie had made around ₹595 crores (US$75 million) crore after 50 days.

At the 42nd Saturn Awards presentation, Baahubali: The Beginning was the first Indian movie to get five nominations, including Best Fantasy Film and Best Supporting Actress. The National Film Award for Best Feature Film and the National Award for Best Special Effects are only two of the recognitions it has garnered.

From ten nominations, it received five prizes at the 63rd Filmfare Awards South, including Best Telugu Film, Best Telugu Director (Rajamouli), and Best Supporting Actress (Ramya Krishna). At the inaugural IIFA Utsavam, the Telugu and Tamil versions of the film each took home multiple prizes in their respective segments, notably Best Film, Best Filmmaker for Rajamouli, and Best Supporting to Ramya Krishna.

4. Baahubali 2: The Conclusion

S. S. Rajamouli co-wrote the script for the 2017 Indian epic action movie Baahubali 2: The Conclusion with V. Vijayendra Prasad. Shobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devineni created it as Arka Media Works. It was concurrently filmed in Tamil and Telugu. This film was much-awaited and had huge popularity even before its release. The movie temporarily eclipsed PK (2014) to become the highest-grossing Indian movie of all time, earning ₹1,810 crores ($267 million), amassing almost 800 crores globally in only six days after its release. This film was the following film of the film Baahubali: The Beginning.

On May 3, 2017, Baahubali 2 surpassed Dangal's US$12.3 million box office take to become the highest-grossing Indian movie in the US. It became the first Indian movie to gross more than $11.1 million in the Middle East, GCC, and Gulf. Baahubali 2 debuted at number three at the box office in China with an opening-day revenue of US$2.41 million. By April 2018, the movie has brought in US$1.3 million in Japan, making it the third-highest-earning Indian movie there. In India, Baahubali 2: The Conclusion earned ₹10 billion net in 30 days across all languages.

In addition to the Saturn Award for Best International Film, Baahubali 2: The Conclusion won three National Film Awards for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment, Best Special Effects, and Best Stunt Choreographer. The Telstra People's Choice Award was presented to Baahubali 2 and Dangal at the Melbourne Indian Film Festival. Filmfare's Rachit Gupta rated the movie a 4.5/5 grade. The Deccan Chronicle's Anupama Subramanian rated the movie 3.5/5.

5. RRR

It is an intense action film in the Telugu language from 2022 that has been created by S. S. Rajamouli and co-written by V. Vijayendra Prasad. It was created by DVV Entertainment's D. V. V. Danayya. RRR, which cost 550 crore rupees ($72 million), is the most costly Indian movie ever made till date. Regarding box office success in its home market of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, RRR outperformed Rajamouli's previous film, Baahubali 2, earning over 415 crores (US$52 million).

The film set several records at the box office, earning a total of ₹1,200 crores (US$175.47 million) worldwide, making it the second-highest-grossing Telugu film and the fourth-highest-grossing Indian film. At the 47th Saturn Awards, RRR received nominations in three categories and took up the Best International Film honor. Within a week of its debut, it went on to become the highest-grossing foreign film in Japan.

Sai Madhav Burra wrote the majority of the film's dialogue in various languages. While the dialogue in the other translations was written by Riya Mukherjee, Mamkombu Gopalakrishnan, Varadaraj Chikkaballapura, and Madhan Karky (in Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam) (Hindi).

6. Pushpa: The Rise

This action romance movie was produced in 2021 and was directed and written by Sukumar. The movie did well financially, earning between ₹350.3 and ₹373 crores at the cinema. One of the all-time highest-grossing Telugu films, the film broke the record for the highest-grossing Indian film in 2021. The sequel, Pushpa 2: The Rule, is presently being written.

The budget for the making of the film was ₹170- ₹250 crores. Pushpa: The Rise was scheduled for release on December 17, 2021. Critics praised the performances, action scenes, cinematography, director, and soundtrack of the film while criticizing the editing and running time. The film stars Allu Arjun, Sunil, and Fahadh Faasil. The movie's production cost between ₹170 and ₹250 crores.

Pushpa: The Rise broke the post-pandemic record for a day one opening with a net of ₹44 crores in India and a total of almost ₹51 crores. With the premieres included, the movie brought in $850,000 in the US and opened to a worldwide gross of ₹74 crores. Pushpa made over ₹159 crores in its first weekend of release. It produced more than ₹107.5 crores in three days, making it the first weekend in India since the COVID-19 pandemic to top 100 crores. It's the fourth South Indian film overall to accomplish this goal.

The Hindi dub of the movie is financially successful. The Hindi version of The Rise made over ₹62 crores after the third weekend, with a first-week gross of ₹26.50 crores. The Rise became the fifth South Indian movie to achieve so after earning more than ₹200 crores in India in only two weeks.

It received a 3.5/5 rating from Bollywood Hungama, which referred to it as a "Paisa vasool" (value for money) movie and praised Sukumar's script as "top notch.". Along with Bollywood Hungama, the film has also got rated 3/5 by both The Indian Express and Deccan Chronicle.

Although the film was initially meant to be a single feature, it was finally decided to release in two parts. The first section's narrative will be continued in the second. Pushpa 2: The Rule, the sequel, will be released in December 2022, claims Sukumar.

7. Saaho

A 2019 South Indian action movie titled Saaho was written and directed by Sujeeth under UV Creations production. Prabhas and Shraddha Kapoor made their cinematic debuts in Telugu and Hindi, respectively, with Saaho. On August 30, 2019, Saaho opened in theatres and IMAX in India. The movie garnered mixed reviews from critics, who gave it high marks for the acting, visual effects, cinematography, soundtrack, plot, and action scenes but low marks for the storyline, directing, and length.

Saaho performed well at the box office, exceeding its budget of ₹350 crores ($50 million) and earning between ₹419 and ₹439 crores ($62 million). A $50 million (₹350 crores) budget was used to make the movie. The movie was filmed around Europe, including in Romania, Hyderabad, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi.

Saaho's opening day worldwide gross of ₹130 crores ($18.4 million) surpassed 2.0's debut of ₹117 crores ($16.6 million) but lagged behind Prabhas's previous movie Baahubali 2: The Conclusion's (212 crores), which currently holds the mark for the top Indian film. The total revenue well after the second day was 220 crores. The movie grossed ₹294 crores ($41.7 million) worldwide box office revenue during its opening weekend and ₹370 crores ($52.5 million) during its first week.

Saaho reached ₹400 crores ($56.8 million) on day 10. Upon completion of its theatrical run, the film's net take in India was ₹ 302 crores ($42.9 million). The review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes calculated an approval rating of 8% for Saaho based on 12 reviews with an average rating of 3.8/10. The movie did a fantastic job overall. The viewers showed great appreciation for the movie.

8. 2.0

The science fiction action movie 2.0 was written by B. Jeyamohan and Madhan Karky and was directed by S. Shankar in the year 2018. produced under the Lyca Productions name by Subaskaran. Cinematographer Nirav Shah used native 3D cameras to shoot the movie, which was the first for Indian cinema. The most costly Indian movie at the time of its release, 2.0 had an estimated budget of ₹540-₹600 crore rupees.

The film's opening day worldwide take of ₹117.34 crores (about $15 million) ranked fourth all-time for Indian films. The movie became the highest-grossing movie globally for that week after crossing ₹520 crores (equal to ₹ 591 crores or US$74 million in 2020) in its first weekend. After four weeks, the movie collected about ₹800 crores worldwide. The eighth-highest-grossing Indian film globally and the sixth-highest in India is 2.0.

On November 29, 2018, 2.0 and its Hindi and Telugu dub versions were made available in all countries. The film's plot, director, performances by Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar, visual effects, action scenes, soundtrack, and social message all garnered favorable reviews, while there was some criticism of the writing. Three and a half out of four stars were awarded to the movie by Simon Abrahams of RogerEbert.com.

It received three and a half out of five stars from Kumar Shyam of The National, who also said, "2.0 is a really smart sight not to be missed for its sheer boldness and size." "2.0's main lure is its stunning use of visual effects, and the film doesn't waste a minute to demonstrate its budget," noted Rafael Motamayor for Polygon. He said that "the effects were intricate enough to compete with a $200 million American movie."

9. Ponniyin Selvan: I (The Son Of Ponni)

The epic historical action play Ponniyin Selvan: I (The Son of Ponni) was written by Elango Kumaravel and B and was directed by Mani Ratnam. Jeyamohan in 2022. Ponniyin Selvan, a 1955 novel by Kalki Krishnamurthy, was adapted into two movies, the first of which was made by Ratnam and Subaskaran Allirajah for Madras Talkies and Lyca Productions.

The movie made between ₹495.50 crores (US$62 million) and ₹500 crore (US$63 million), shattering several box office records. It became the fourth-highest-grossing Tamil film of all time, the highest-grossing Tamil film of all time, and the 15th-highest Indian film ever.

Ponniyin Selvan had a ₹500 crores budget when it first debuted as a standalone movie. With over ₹326.50 crores (US$41 million) from India, ₹221.80 crores (US$28 million) from Tamil Nadu alone-becoming the first film to accomplish so-and more than ₹169 crores (US$21 million) from the rest of the globe, the movie had a global total of over ₹495.50 crores (US$62 million)-₹500 crores (US$63 million).

The Indian Express' Kirubhakar Purushothaman gave the movie a score of 4 out of 5. Ponniyan Selvan 1 was given a score of 4 out of 5 stars by Sonil Dedhia of News 18 and was described as "an interesting, absorbing movie-going experience" that "once again illustrates why Mani Ratnam is one of India's best directors."

Stutee Ghosh of The Quint awarded the film a rating of 4 out of 5. Mani Ratnam finally brings the fantasy to life with this stunning adaptation, which wonderfully captures the mystery, thrills, and page-turning appeal of the books, according to M. Suganth of The Times of India, who scored the film 3.5 out of 5 stars". "Mani Ratnam's adaption of Kalki's Ponniyin Selvan is amazing," Suganth further stated.

10. Vikram

The action thriller Vikram, written and directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, was published in the Indian Tamil language by Raaj Kamal Films International in 2022. On June 3, 2022, Vikram was theatrically released. It was an enormous critical and financial success, earning between 420 crores (US$53 million) and ₹500 crores (US$63 million) and ranking as the second-highest-grossing Tamil movie of the year. Vikram outperformed Beast to become the highest-grossing Tamil movie of the year after earning over ₹260 crores in its first week of release.

Additionally, the movie did well overseas, earning $31,320 and $6,543, respectively, in Norway and Russia in the first week of release. After its second weekend, the movie has made over $2.5 million in the USA and over ₹312 crores globally. The movie has made ₹442.45 crores (US$55 million) as of July 6, 2022. The movie earned ₹500 crores (US$63 million) in 75 days, making it one of the highest-grossing Tamil movies ever. Vikram's first weekend earnings were between ₹150 and ₹163 crores globally thanks to a total gross collection of ₹100.75 crores in India and ₹50 crores abroad.

The movie received Divya Nair of Rediff's 4 out of 5-star rating. The Quint's Soundarya Athimuthu scored the movie 4 out of 5. NDTV's Saibal Chatterjee gave the movie three out of five stars and commented, "Amazing Kamal Haasan. Vijay Sethupathi fleshes out a tough criminal with a frayed heart and an unbalanced mentality ". "In a film full of action heroes, the largest mass moment occurs in a stunt scene featuring a female character," observed M Suganth of The Times Of India in his review, giving the movie three out of five stars.

Over the past few decades, Tollywood has established itself as a prosperous film industry by producing blockbuster successes. The South Indian film industry has long been stigmatized as producing just action movies. But the business has defied all expectations and experimented with several genres.