"Regional is becoming new national": Kamal Haasan on growing prominence of Southern cinema at 'South Unbound' event

At a star-studded event that marked a watershed moment for South India's Media & Entertainment industry, JioHotstar announced an investment of Rs 4,000 crore over the next five years to boost the region's creative economy.

The event was attended by the Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin, Minister of Tamil Development, Information and Publicity MP Saminathan and executives of JioHotstar.

Kamal Haasan said stories today are "screen-agnostic" and follow viewers across platforms.

"Today, stories are truly screen-agnostic. They travel with the viewer. The audience has become the platform. And when that happens, the relationship between the medium and the message changes forever. Stories do not belong to any screen; they always travel with the listener and belong to people. Screens simply follow them," said Kamal Haasan.

Highlighting the growing national and global prominence of southern storytelling, he pointed to films like 'Kantara', 'Drishyam', 'Baahubali', 'Pushpa', 'Vikram' and 'Amaran', saying their success proves that authenticity is a currency "that can never be demonetised."

Drawing parallels with global successes like Squid Game, he noted that southern Indian languages together speak to more than 275 million people, giving the region unprecedented potential for global reach, as per the press note shared by JioHotstar.

"It is this tectonic shift that makes JioHotstar's initiative so consequential for Tamil Nadu - not only for its ambition, but for the architecture of opportunity it unlocks. In this new world, every Tamil creator, producer, and storyteller can reach every Indian, on every screen, every day. Today, regional is becoming the new national, and ethnic the new international. Stories born in Madurai, Malappuram, Mandya or Machilipatnam are no longer "regional cinema" - they are national cultural events," added Kamal Haasan, according to the press note.

Kamal Haasan emphasised that a thriving creative economy needs strong ecosystems of creators, technicians, platforms and supportive policymaking as well.

The 'South Unbound' Letter of Intent signed between the Tamil Nadu government and JioHotstar marks a Rs 12,000-crore commitment to southern storytelling, with more than Rs 4,000 crore earmarked for Tamil Nadu over the next five years.

During his speech, Kamal Haasan described M&E landscape as one shaped by a young audience, rapid digital expansion, a regional surge influencing national tastes, supportive state policies and global interest in Indian ideas.

"There has never been a better time to be a storyteller," he said, urging the industry to seize the moment or risk losing it.

On the work front, Kamal Haasan was last seen in the film 'Thug Life.' It was directed by Mani Ratnam. (ANI)