In recent times with RRR making a phenomenal global presence by winning an Oscar for Indian cinema has raised the curiosity of the general public towards the south indian movie once again. South Indian movies is a term denoted to movies made in four languages which are – Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam.
South Indian movies are popular for their action, story line, larger than life production scale and unique dancing moves. So to filter 10 best South Indian movies out of so many well crafted masterpieces is a daunting task. But still we choose the 10 best South Indian movies of all times only for you on the basis of box office performance of these movies.
Here, are the 10 best South Indian movies of all times
1. Baahubali 2: The conclusion
It is the highest grosser of all times not only of south indian movies. Till date the movie has collected over $230 million (more than 1800 crores). Directed by S.S. Rajamouli this movie defines every movie buff’s dream from strong story line to top notch performances. It is a magnum opus which captivated every movie goer.
2. RRR
The 2nd highest grosser directed by S.S Rajamouli is another golden feather of south indian cinema. The movie collected over $160 million worldwide and recently bagged an Oscar for scintillating music score.
3. K.G.F. Chapter-2
This action drama directed by Prashanth Neel has south Indian star Yash In the lead role of Rocky rising against all odds to achieve power and love.
4. 2.0
Directed by S. Shankar, this sci-fi movie stars the mega superstars Rajnikant and Akshay Kumar. The movie grossed more than $100 million worldwide putting it in the list of top 10 South Indian movies of all times.
5. Baahubali: The Beginning
Directed by S.S.Rajamouli this magnum opus is one of the most successful South Indian movies. It stars Prabhas in the lead role of Baahubali. Released in 2015 it is one of the top grossers of Indian cinema.
6. Ponniyin Selvan I
Mani Ratnam’s dream project Ponniyin Selvan which had been in the making for a while, the part one finally arrived at the cinemas in Sept 2022. It stormed at the box office and created several box office records.
7. Vikram
Tamil action thriller “Vikram” stars Kamal Haasan aka Ulganayagan in the titular role. The film was released pan-India and emerged as the 3rd highest-grossing Tamil movie of all time and took place in the list of the 10 Best South Indian movies of all times. It stars powerhouses of south cinemas Fahadh Faasil, Vijay Sethupathi and Haasan.
8. Kantara
The smash hit Kantara graced the cinemas on Sept 30. The film became a pan-India success and emerged as the 2nd all-time highest-grosser Kannada film after KGF2. Rishab Shetty directed, written, and acted in the film. It is bankrolled by Vijay Kiragandur’s Hombale films; the banner is also behind the monster KGF 2. It also ranks at the no. 1 position in the IMDb top 250 Indian films list.
9. Pushpa: The Rise
Pushpa: The Rise is an action packed movie which instantly became a rage for dialogues. Directed by Sukumar and released in 2021. It is a story of a lorry driver who makes it big via sandalwood smuggling. It is an entertaining watch.
10. Enthiran
Directed by S.Shankar Vaseegaran, a genius scientist who builds a robot with the aim to help mankind. When the robot is taught how to feel human emotions, things take a rather dystopian turn. Chitti, the robot, falls in love with Vaseegaran’s girlfriend and takes over the entire city. The action, mostly CGI driven is amusing and interesting to watch
Best South Indian Movies Dubbed In Hindi
Dubbed movies, although criticized by many, are a way to reach a bigger platform and connect to the audience. South Indian movies are one of the top contenders in this section. Infact , South Indian movies dubbed in hindi are a huge rage and it includes movies like :
Anniyan (Aparichit)
A perfect amalgamation of action, drama and emotions. It is very popular among masses as “Aparichit” in Hindi. A man suffering from multiple personality disorder uses Garuda Purana as a reference book to deliver punishment to evil people in the real world. Lead actor played by Vikram is an innocent man yet annoying lawyer named Ramanujan who turns into the Loverboy Remo to win his crush’s heart, and by night he kills people under the guise of Anniyan.
Eega (Makkhi) :
Eega’s Hindi-dubbed version ‘Makkhi’ was quite a hit among the Hindi-speaking audience. This movie plot turns out to be damn interesting, clever and engaging based on a fly and other lead characters.
Jai Bhim
A highly critically acclaimed movie of recent times and appalled for its wonderful performances. It is a story of a poor tribal man who is falsely accused of burglary by a tyrant rich man. He is illegally detained by the police and goes missing soon after. A brave lawyer named Chandru decides to help the family get justice.
Magadheera
S. S. Rajamouli’s Magadheera is a fantasy film that connects the present lives of the characters to their 400-year-old past lives. The 2017 Bollywood movie Raabta was a remake of this movie but the dubbed version is equally popular.
Vikram Vedha
Vikram Vedha follows a police inspector named Vikram and his partner Simon who are tasked with capturing a criminal named Vedha. However, when Vedha turns himself in one day at the police station, he offers to tell Vikram a story; Vikram doesn’t know that this story is related to his and Simon’s. The investigation is further complicated when it turns out that Vedha’s lawyer is Vikram’s wife.
Best South Indian Movies 2023
Thunivu
Tamil movie, Thunivu is a crime action drama revolving around a large-scale bank robbery. The motive of the robbery however remains a mystery till the very end which kept the audience glued to their seat. Directed by K. Vinoth, the movie is a masterpiece and has won the hearts of many. Ajith Kumar’s world-class action and the realistic messages delivered through an extraordinary plot made Thunivu one of the highest-grossing Best South Indian movies of 2023 so far.
Waltair Veerayya
Waltair Veerayya is another blockbuster that you cannot miss. With Chiranjeevi, Ravi Teja and Shruti Hassan, the movie deals with two friends- a cop and a fisherman and the fisherman’s endeavors in smuggling. The movie marked the return of Chiranjeevi to the big screen after a long time. The mesmerizing dialogue delivery and the action-packed plot make this movie one of the best South Indian movies of 2023.
Varisu
The Tamil movie starring Vijay and Rashmika Mandanna in the lead roles is a perfect blend of comedy, action, drama and romance and is a must-watch.
Vaathi
A movie with an inspiring and eye-opening message, Vaathi is one of the best movies to have been released this year. Featuring Dhanush, Samyukta Menon and Samuthirakani, the movie narrates the fight of a common teacher against the excessive privatization of education. It sends several strong messages to the public and lays a special emphasis on the relationship between a student and a teacher.
Shaakuntalam
The film is based on classical Sanskrit author Kalidasa’s popular play Abhigyan Shakuntalam, featuring Samarth in the titular role and Dev Mohan as the king of the Puru Dynasty, Dushyanta. The film was extensively shot around Hyderabad, including Ramoji Film City, Ananthagiri Hills, and Gandipet Lake, as well as some parts of Northern India, including Kashmir. It is produced by Sri Venkateswara Creations.