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Telugu actor Nani has offered a strong rebuttal to Salman Khan's recent comments regarding the box office performance of Hindi films in South Indian territories. During the promotions for 'Sikandar', Salman Khan had stated that South Indian audiences don't frequent theatres for Hindi films, contrasting it with the Hindi-speaking audience's embrace of South Indian cinema.

However, in a recent interview with DNA India, Nani countered this perspective, emphasizing the significant cultural impact and popularity of Bollywood, particularly Salman Khan's films, in the South.

When asked about the perceived lack of importance of Bollywood in the South, Nani provided a historical context, stating, “That (Hindi cinema) is original; this (South cinema) came later. The love South cinema is receiving now is recent. But the love Bollywood has received in the South has been there for decades. If you ask anyone there, ‘What’s your favourite Hindi film?’, they will have childhood memories of Amitabh Bachchan. They’ll talk about so many films. We always watched Hindi films — Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Dil Toh Pagal Hai were blockbusters in Hyderabad and other southern states. Everyone is now lapping up South films, but Hindi cinema was always embraced across the country.” Nani's words highlight the long-standing appreciation and box office success of Hindi films in the southern states.

Directly addressing Salman Khan's statement, Nani firmly disagreed, saying in Hindi, “Nahi, waha nahi chale? Bina chale kaise superstar ban gaye? 100% chalti hai (No, they didn’t work there? How did they become superstars without succeeding? They definitely work 100%), and we all love him. We’ve all watched so many of Salman’s films. Movies like Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! hold cultural importance there. Didi Tera Devar Deewana and other songs — we used to play them at our weddings.”

Salman Khan's original remark during the 'Sikandar' promotions was, “When my film is released there, it doesn’t get the numbers because their fan following is very strong. I’ll walk on the street, and they’ll say, ‘Bhai, Bhai’, but they won’t go to the theatres. The way we’ve accepted them here hasn’t happened there. Their films do well because we go and see them — like those of Rajinikanth sir, Chiranjeevi garu, Suriya or Ram Charan. But their fans don’t go to see our films.” While Salman acknowledged the personal affection he receives in the South, he pointed to a disparity in theatrical attendance.

Also Read: Sonam Kapoor shares adorable moments with son Vayu during week off

Meanwhile, Nani is currently anticipating the release of his upcoming action thriller, directed by Sailesh Kolanu. The film, which stars Nani and Srinidhi Shetty in the lead roles, along with Adil Pala, Rao Ramesh, Brahmaji, and Maganti Srinath, is scheduled to hit cinemas on May 1st. Nani’s assertive and personal refutation of Salman Khan's statement underscores the complex dynamics of inter-regional film appreciation and box office success in India, highlighting the enduring impact of Bollywood in the South.

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