Toxic, Varanasi, Fauzi: Are Heroes Becoming Secondary?

Yash, Mahesh Babu, Nani and Prabhas

The rise of the pan-India market is changing the way star heroes’ films are being made. It is no longer enough to have a story that suits the hero’s image. Filmmakers are now creating a separate world around the character, with its own setting, atmosphere and identity.

Yash’s latest release Toxic is built around a gangster world, while Mahesh Babu’s Varanasi is set against the backdrop of a time-travel adventure. Nani’s The Paradise takes audiences into 1980s Secunderabad, while Prabhas’ Fauzi reportedly travels back to the 1940s.

This shows how the idea of a star vehicle is changing. Earlier, the hero himself was often the biggest selling point. Now, filmmakers are trying to make the world around the hero equally important.

A strong and unique world can give a film a distinct identity even before the audience knows much about the story. It can also help filmmakers create larger-scale action, characters and conflicts that feel different from regular commercial cinema.

The pan-India market has played a massive role in this shift. When a film has to appeal to audiences across different regions, simply depending on a star’s popularity may not be enough. A fresh world and a strong concept can become a common attraction for audiences everywhere.

In the coming years, the trend could become even bigger. The question may no longer be just, “Who is the hero?” It could also be, “What world is this hero entering?”

For the biggest stars, creating that world could become as important as creating the character itself.