Anil Kapoor on success of KGF Chapter 2 and RRR: ‘South industry has always made good films which people have loved’

Actor Anil Kapoor says he is not surprised by the wave films from the south are creating across India as he believes the makers there always championed good movies and storytelling. Ever since filmmaker SS Rajamouli's blockbuster two-part series Baahubali (2015-2017), several south Indian films like Master, Pushpa, RRR and the recent KGF Chapter: 2 have worked wonders at the box office, particularly in the Hindi belt.

Anil, who made his debut as a leading man in 1980 with the Telugu film Vamsa Vruksham and went on to star in 1983 Kannada drama Pallavi Anu Pallav—which marked the debut of filmmaker Mani Ratnam—said the south industry has always been an "inspiration". "The south industry has always made good films, which people have loved. From 'Ram aur Shyam' to 'Ek Duje Ke Liye'. They've always made fantastic films and will continue to do so. They have always been an inspiration. I began my career with south films. My first film as a leading man was a Telugu film, from where I learnt professionalism, dedication and discipline," he told reporters.

The 65-year-old actor said he not only featured in south Indian films but also headlined their Hindi adaptations, including Hum Aapke Dil Mein Rehte Hai and Humara Dil Aapke Paas Hai. "South industry has always given good stories, films. This phase was, is and will go on. They do good work and I always look forward to (their) directors with great vision. I've always admired them. I don't get surprised. This (success) had to happen and may it continue forever," he said at the trailer launch of his latest Netflix film, Thar.

Directed by Raj Singh Chaudhary, the Rajasthan-set revenge noir thriller features him as a local cop. Inspired by Western Noir genre, Thar also stars his son, actor Harsh Varrdhan Kapoor along with Fatima Sana Shaikh, Satish Kaushik , Jitendra Joshi and Mukti Mohan. Anil said to understand the world of Thar better, he watched all Western classics, including films of Italian filmmaker Sergio Leone and Coen brothers' No Country for Old Men. "You can't call this a pure Western. This has got love, passion, violence, suspense. This is a film of today. Our director and writers have tried to make it relatable to the younger generation. In some old Western films, people felt they didn't have that spark. But this has got today's feel. The young viewers will relate to it," he added.

Set in the eighties, Thar features Harsh Varrdhan as Siddharth , an antique dealer who travels to a remote village in Rajasthan that has recently been rocked by a series of violent killings. The film has been written by Chaudhary with dialogues penned by filmmaker Anurag Kashyap . Thar is set to release on May 6.