Film Production
Regional stories steal the show as audiences tune out the usual
MUMBAI: Lights, camera, localisation! At the 9th edition of The Content Hub Summit 2025, the session on “The Rise and Rise of Regional Content” didn’t just capture attention, it underscored a seismic shift in what India watches and why. Gone are the days when Hindi content ruled unchallenged. From Marathi to Malayalam, Punjabi to Gujarati, regional languages are not only speaking up, they’re roaring loud across platforms and pushing boundaries with content that’s local in soul, but universal in appeal.
Karan Taurani of Elara Capital, moderating the star-studded panel, noted that the 20th-ranked Hindi film today earns just ₹20 crore, a steep fall from pre-pandemic numbers where the 20th film could clock in Rs 70–Rs 80 crore. Rabindra Narayan, MD of PTC, echoed this, citing how Punjabi film Sehra raked in Rs 100 crore just from Maharashtra, denting a mainstream release like Bhabhi by an estimated Rs 20–Rs 30 crore.
Rishi Negi of Banijay Asia pointed out that while Hindi struggles with resonance, regional films like Pushpa and KGF succeed because they tell stories rooted in emotion whether it’s a son seeking acceptance or avenging his mother. These narratives, Negi argued, transcend language and connect with audiences across demographics.
The session also touched on the economics of production. Making content in regional languages isn’t just creatively liberating, it’s cost-effective too. With South Indian films now commanding higher acquisition budgets than Hindi titles on platforms like Netflix, the tide has clearly turned.
Mamta Kamtikar from Junglee Pictures highlighted how Malayalam film Lones, produced on a modest budget, became a critical and cultural success due to strong storytelling and a buzz-worthy release strategy. “It’s not just about making a film,” she stressed, “it’s about making it travel emotionally and linguistically.”
This brings us to another hot-button topic: localisation. Avinash Mudaliar of OTTplay noted that dubbing and subtitling in India have undergone a transformation. “Earlier, South Indian action films just needed punchy dialogues. Now, dubbing is almost script-rewriting. It’s no longer a mechanical job, it’s cultural translation.”
But the challenge isn’t just about turning Tamil into Hindi. As Arpit Mankar of Shemaroo explained, a joke that lands in Delhi might bomb in Bengal. Comedy, drama, even character arcs need regional nuance something only local creators truly understand. That’s why Shemaroo has gone deep into Gujarati OTT, helping three films cross ₹10 crore in the first half of 2025 alone triple the usual annual average.
ETV Win’s Saikrishna Koinni and others agreed: regional makers have the home-field advantage. They live the language, breathe the culture, and write stories with lived authenticity that no algorithm or distant studio exec can replicate.
And there’s money on the table too. With over 33 OTTs now bundled into super-subscription packs and growing willingness to pay, regional content is not just filling the gap, it’s the main event.
In short, India’s entertainment engine is no longer fuelled solely by Bollywood dreams. It’s powered by local love, dubbed brilliance, and subtitles that speak volumes. And if this panel is anything to go by, the future of Indian content is decidedly regional and refreshingly relatable.
Film Production
Arka Mediaworks onboards 88 Pictures as animation studio partner on ‘The Eternal War – Part 1’
Arka Mediaworks announces that 88 Pictures, the acclaimed animation and visual storytelling studio known for its cutting-edge CGI and cinematic artistry, is on board as the animation partner for the highly anticipated Baahubali: The Eternal War, a groundbreaking two-part 3D animated feature film set in the globally beloved Baahubali universe.
Baahubali: The Eternal War represents a bold new chapter in the Baahubali saga envisioned for national and international audiences and crafted with the ambition of delivering one of India’s most ambitious and globally benchmarked animation projects to date.
88 Pictures will execute the animation production, bringing to life the film’s richly detailed worlds, epic battle sequences, and larger-than-life characters with its signature blend of artistic vision, performance-driven animation, and advanced production pipelines. Working closely with the film’s creative leadership and technical partners, the studio aims to set new benchmarks in animation quality, cinematic storytelling, and global scalability.
This animated epic follows the successful re-release of Baahubali: The Epic (the combined theatrical version of the original live-action films) on 31 October 2025 across India and the USA. During the film’s interval, legendary creator and director S.S. Rajamouli (Baahubali 1 & 2, RRR) stunned audiences with a surprise teaser for The Eternal War – Part 1. The video immediately went viral, garnering widespread national and international acclaim across LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube for its ambitious visual style and scale.
Produced by Arka Mediaworks and led by co-founder and CEO Shobu Yarlagadda – producer of the iconic Baahubali duology, The Eternal War brings together fantastic storytelling and cutting-edge animation.. The film is directed and written by acclaimed animation filmmaker Ishan Shukla (Schirkoa: In Lies We Trust, Star Wars: Visions – “The Bandits of Golak”) and screenplay by Scott Mosier (The Grinch). Mihira Visual Labs, the studio co-founded by Yarlagadda anchors the film’s animation, visual development, and execution.
The partnership with 88 Pictures brings significant pedigree to the project; the studio is well-regarded for its work on high-profile international titles including DreamWorks’ series Trollhunters, the HBO Max original series Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, Disney’s animated short An Almost Christmas Story to name a few.
Yarlagadda shared, “We are happy to onboard 88 Pictures as the animation studio partner for our prestigious and most expensive animated film from India. We believe that their expertise and capabilities will allow us to produce a first-of-its-kind, world-class animated feature film from India.”
88 Pictures founder & CEO Milind D. Shinde said, “Baahubali changed the way cinema is perceived and became a defining milestone that turned the tide for Indian live-action filmmaking. Expanding the franchise into an entirely new universe—at a never-seen, never-done scale—through an animated feature created in India for a global audience is set to redefine how the world views Indian animation. We are truly thrilled to be part of this landmark project and to bring it to life under the visionary direction of Ishan Shukla, guided by the experience and leadership of acclaimed producer Shobu Yarlagadda.”
Shukla expressed, “Eternal War requires a level of visual and emotional precision that can only come from teams who truly understand both craft and intent. Working with 88 Pictures, alongside Mihira Visual Labs, has been a deeply collaborative experience. This association brings together technical excellence and creative sensitivity, enabling us to translate an ambitious vision into a compelling cinematic reality.”
Baahubali: The Eternal War – Part 1 is scheduled for release in 2027
