Vishnu Manchu calls South stars to promote films in North India; Says audiences now see all as 'Apne actors'

Telugu filmmaker Vishnu Manchu recently shared the importance of South Indian artists actively promoting their films in the Hindi-speaking regions as a gesture of gratitude. He mentioned how the Hindi heartland has warmly embraced South Indian movies which contributed significantly to their box office success.
As per a Hindustan Times report, Vishnu believes that since these films are made for a pan-India audience, it is only respectful and necessary for the artistes to personally promote their work in the North, acknowledging the support and love from Hindi-speaking fans.
Vishnu's view on audience connection
He said, "They are showering love on our movies; we must acknowledge that. I see it in a way that when we are making a movie for everyone to watch then I must come and respect them by coming and promoting my movie here".
Vishnu also spoke about his latest film, 'Kannappa' which features a star-studded cast including Akshay Kumar, Prabhas, and a special cameo by Mohanlal. He praised his co-stars for their immense talent and star power, explaining that their presence helped expand the film's reach beyond regional boundaries. He cited that the industry is witnessing a positive shift where artists are no longer labelled as "South actors" or "North actors" but actors belonging to all audiences.

No more regional labels
Vishnu says, "They’re great actors...we needed their star power, fan base and charisma. This movie is far bigger than my market and has a big budget, so we needed a larger audience. Such collaborations have always happened, and it is bound to get bigger. People don’t see artists as ‘South ka actor’ or ‘North ka actor’ anymore. Audiences are beginning to embrace them as apne actors."
Speaking about the recent box office success of South Indian films across the country, Vishnu credited it to the filmmakers' focus on rooted stories with emotional depth. He shared that while the South industries Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada, are often grouped together and compared with Bollywood, each has its unique strengths and challenges. He also defended the Hindi film industry, suggesting that the media has been unfairly critical of Bollywood.