Regional language movies from India are overtaking Bollywood films at the box office, according to a film distributor based in New Zealand.

Pushpa 2: The Rule, which was released in December 2024, has gone on to become the highest-grossing film in New Zealand in 2025, earning $847,808 at the box office and firmly replacing Bollywood as the mainstream favourite.

India, known for its diversity and its multiple language film industries, is also the largest producer of feature films in the world, with an average production of 1800-2000 films each year.

The Hindi film industry, also known as Bollywood, is just one of eight major film-producing industries of India, with films being made in other languages such as Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali, Marathi and Punjabi.

Until recently, the Hindi film industry was the only one to produce films consistently that were watched across the length and breadth of India and then extended to the diaspora across the globe, including New Zealand.

However, that has changed.

"South Indian movies are becoming a fan favourite for the Indian community," said Pritesh Raniga, proprietor of Indian distribution company Forum Films.

His company has distributed more than 50 films across New Zealand, Australia and Fiji this year.

"I think the South Indian audience is very open to experimental movies," he said.

A recent example, he said, was Malayalam film Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, which outperformed three big releases with major stars.

"It's a content-driven market, and some of these regional films come with great topics and New Zealand audiences appreciate that," Raniga said.

Pritesh Raniga is the proprietor of Forum Films. (Tom Blessen/RNZ)

Raniga said the shift began with 2015 Telugu blockbuster Baahubali: The Beginning, which transformed how South Indian cinema was perceived worldwide.

The South Indian film industries include Kannada films from Karnataka, Malayalam films from Kerala, Telugu films from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil films from Tamil Nadu.

The momentum continued with Baahubali 2: The Conclusion in 2017, KGF: Chapter 1 in 2018, KGF: Chapter 2 in 2022 and RRR in 2022.

Directed by S.S. Rajamouli, who also helmed the Baahubali films, RRR became the first Indian feature to win an Oscar, taking home best original song for Naatu Naatu at the 95th Academy Awards in 2023.

"Malayalam industry is the one to look out for," Raniga said. "It's now being closely watched globally, and it's performing really well here in New Zealand and in Australia."

He believed the surge was driven by strong storytelling and growing migrant communities, particularly from Kerala.

"I would personally say that they are actually making good cinema," he said.

Raniga also credited streaming platforms for broadening exposure.

"Language is not a barrier anymore, and that's why regional movies are performing well in New Zealand," he said.

But it isn't just South Indian films drawing large audiences.

Gujarati-language film Laalo: Krishna Sada Sahaayate is also making waves in New Zealand cinemas.

"All our 11 shows were sold out," said distributor Malav Gandhi. "We're planning additional shows now."

The devotional drama's record-breaking run in India prompted Gandhi and his business partner, Varun Manek, to bring the film to New Zealand.

Originally from Ahmedabad, Gandhi has lived in New Zealand since 2016.

"There is a huge Gujarati community here, and I think there's real scope for Gujarati movies in New Zealand," he said.

Gujarati migrants were among the earliest Indian communities to arrive in New Zealand, beginning around 1902 from regions such as Navsari and Bardoli, coastal areas known for maritime trade at the time.

These areas of Gujarat were hot spots for emigration in those days due to their proximity to the coast, with some areas already engaged in local shipping activities.

Migration slowed during World War I due to restrictive immigration policies but grew steadily afterward.

Today, the Indian community is the third-largest ethnic group in New Zealand.

Gujarati is also the third-most spoken Indian language in New Zealand, with more than 24,000 speakers, according to the 2023 Census.

"We were quite surprised by the response, so we're planning to add more shows in the coming weeks," Gandhi said.

He said relatively few Gujarati films had been released in New Zealand and planned to bring at least one each month from 2026.

"There is an appetite for regional-language movies in New Zealand," he said. "This movie has proved that."

Raniga said the trend was growing.

"Content is always going to be the king of box office," he said.

"I think it's the fact that audience are more open to it is really helping as well."