Netflix is betting big on South Indian cinema, unveiling an ambitious slate of Tamil and Telugu-language films featuring industry titans Kamal Haasan, Ajith Kumar, Suriya, Vijay Deverakonda and Pawan Kalyan.
The streaming giant unveiled its lineup during the auspicious Pongal and Sankranti festivals, showcasing a mix of action blockbusters, thrillers, and drama that will hit theaters before making their streaming debut.
The Tamil slate features nine films: Mani Ratnam’s “Thug Life,” starring Kamal Haasan, Silambarasan, Trisha Krishnan and Pankaj Tripathi; Ajith Kumar’s double offerings “Good Bad Ugly” and “VidaaMuyarchi” with Trisha Krishnan; Suriya and Pooja Hegde’s “Retro”; “Bison” starring Dhruv Vikram and Anupama Parameswaran; “Dragon” with Pradeep Ranganathan; “Kaantha” featuring Dulquer Salmaan and Bhagyashri Borse; “Perusu” with Vaibhav and social media star Niharika NM; and an untitled Pradeep Ranganathan-Keerthiswaran project with Mamitha Baiju.
The Telugu lineup boasts nine major releases: Pawan Kalyan’s “OG” with Emraan Hashmi; Vijay Deverakonda’s “VD12”; Nani’s “Hit 3 – The Third Case”; “Thandel” starring Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi; Ravi Teja’s “Mass Jathara”; “Anaganaga Oka Raju” with Naveen Polishetty; “Court: State vs A Nobody” featuring Priyadarshi; “Jack” starring Siddhu Jonnalagadda; and “Mad Square” with Sangeeth Shoban.
“2024 was a remarkable year for Netflix India, with Tamil films winning hearts worldwide like never before,” said Monika Shergill, VP of content at Netflix India. “Blockbusters like ‘Amaran,’ ‘GOAT,’ ‘Maharaja’ and ‘Meiyazhagan’ showcased the universal appeal of authentic storytelling. And 2025 is set to be even more exciting.”
Regarding Telugu content, Shergill added, “2024 was an incredible year for Netflix India, as our Telugu films won hearts like never before. Blockbusters like ‘Devara,’ ‘Guntur Kaaram,’ ‘Hi Nanna,’ ‘Lucky Baskhar,’ ‘Salaar’ and ‘Saripodhaa Sanivaaram’ became worldwide favorites, topping watchlists, trending on social media, and earning love from fans and critics alike. As we step into 2025, the excitement continues to grow.”
Netflix’s continued acquisition of South Indian theatrical titles is a reflection of the current trend at the Indian box office. In 2024, South Indian films accounted for six of the country’s top 10 box office champions, including the top two, and claimed 45% of the market share.
