Who Holds the Title of the First Pan-Indian Star?

Pan-Indian cinema, a term from Telugu cinema, has taken the Indian film industry by storm. These movies are created to appeal to audiences nationwide and even the global market.

The concept gained significant popularity after the massive success of “Baahubali: The Beginning” in 2015. Pan-Indian films are released simultaneously in multiple languages, such as Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi, to maximize their reach and revenue.

What Does Pan-Indian Film Mean?

Telugu cinema introduced the term “Pan-Indian film” to the Indian film industry. It gained widespread recognition after the blockbuster success of “Baahubali: The Beginning” in 2015.

A Pan-Indian film is released simultaneously in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi, bridging linguistic and cultural divides to appeal to a wider nationwide audience.

The First Pan-Indian Film: Mahishasura Mardini

According to The Times of India, the first-ever Pan-Indian film from Kannada cinema was “Mahishasura Mardini,” released in 1959 and led by Dr. Rajkumar.

This film was not only dubbed but also released in seven other languages. However, no other film has been released in more than four languages since then.

Prabhas: The First Pan-Indian Star

Prabhas, with his blockbusters “Baahubali: The Beginning” and “Baahubali: The Conclusion,” became the first Pan-Indian star.

Born as Uppalapati Venkata Suryanarayana Prabhas Raju, Prabhas is a prominent actor primarily known for his work in Telugu cinema.

He gained immense popularity and acclaim for portraying the title role in the epic action blockbuster “Baahubali: The Beginning” (2015).

The movie became the fourth highest-grossing Indian film of all time.

Prabhas reprised the same role in the sequel, “Baahubali 2: The Conclusion” (2017), which became the second-highest-earning Indian film, grossing over 1,000 crores (US$155 million) in just 10 days across all languages.

Prabhas’s career has been filled with notable films such as “Varsham” (2004), “Chatrapathi” (2005), “Bujjigadu” (2008), “Billa” (2009), “Darling” (2010), “Mr. Perfect” (2011), and “Mirchi” (2013).

His remarkable performances earned him numerous awards, including the Nandi and SIIMA awards.

Yash: The Current Pan-Indian Star

Currently, Yash is considered one of the leading Pan-Indian stars in India. Born as Naveen Kumar Gowda, Yash primarily works in Kannada cinema.

He gained nationwide recognition with the release of “K.G.F.: Chapter 1” (2018), directed by Prashanth Neel.

The film became the highest-grossing Kannada movie, winning Yash his second Filmfare Award for Best Actor. The success continued with the release of the sequel, “K.G.F.: Chapter 2” (2022), which became the third highest-earning Indian film.

Yash’s journey to stardom includes notable films such as “Google” (2013), “Raja Huli” (2013), “Gajakesari” (2014), “Mr and Mrs Ramachari” (2014), “Masterpiece” (2015), and “Santhu Straight Forward” (2016).

In addition to his acting career, Yash actively supports social and philanthropic causes through the YashoMarga Foundation. He is married to actress Radhika Pandit.