📌 Key Points
- Rohan Shankar discusses Bollywood’s resurgence after facing competition from South Indian cinema.
- He emphasizes that audience preferences drive trends in filmmaking, influencing writers and producers.
- Rohan highlights adapting South Indian films for Hindi audiences, focusing on relevant context and tone.
- Haiwaan, starring Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan, wrapped shooting in December 2025 and is slated for August release.
Writer Rohan Shankar shares his perspective on Bollywood’s revival after the rise of South Indian films. He emphasizes the importance of audience preferences in shaping film trends and highlights the adaptation process involved in making South films relevant to Hindi audiences.
Bollywood vs South: A Changing Landscape
Since the success of KGF, RRR, and Pushpa, there has been talk of Bollywood losing its mojo, while films from the South seem to know what audiences want. It had resulted in everything from passionate debates to proclamations about the Hindi film industry only making films for ‘Bandra and Juhu’. And then came along films like Chhaava, Saiyaara and Dhurandhar to bust these notions and remind everyone of what Bollywood was capable of.
The Audience’s Role in Film Trends
Rohan also says that, as writers in the film industry, their work depends on what producers and audiences want. He admits that if a film becomes a hit, it usually leads to the idea of making more such films. “As writers, we don’t really decide the ‘safe zone.’ It’s driven by what producers and audiences respond to. If a certain kind of film works big, that becomes the trend. Going forward, I think we’ll see more diversity in storytelling, because audiences today are open to everything, as long as it’s engaging and honest.”
Rohan says that they took the emotional core and structure of Oppam and reinterpreted it with a different context for Haiwaan. “Certain changes were necessary to make the film relevant for today’s audience and also to suit the Hindi film space. The most challenging part is always the tone…making sure the story feels contemporary without losing the essence that made the original special. That balance is where most of the work goes,” he adds.
Adapting South Films for Hindi Audiences
Shooting for Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan-starrer Haiwaan was wrapped in December 2025, and it’s expected to hit screens in August this year. Rohan has teamed up with Mohit Suri again for his next project with Saiyaara stars Aneet Padda and Ahaan Panday.
Rohan Shankar’s insights highlight the evolving dynamics of the Indian film industry. The exchange between Bollywood and South cinema enriches storytelling, promising diverse and engaging content for audiences in the future. The focus is on quality and audience connection.
