JioStar's South Unbound event served as the launchpad for several new original projects on the streaming platform. The occasion brought together the hosts of the region's Bigg Boss shows.
Mohanlal has anchored Bigg Boss Malayalam since its inaugural season; Nagarjuna, took over as host of Bigg Boss Telugu from its third season; Vijay Sethupathi has been steering Bigg Boss Tamil since its eighth season.
The event in Chennai was attended by movie legend‑MP Kamal Haasan and former movie producer and Tamil Nadu's current Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin. Kamal Haasan hosted the first seven seasons of Bigg Boss Tamil.
"Today, stories are truly screen‑agnostic. They travel with the viewer. The audience has become the platform. When that happens, the relationship between the medium and the message changes forever," Kamal Haasan told the gathering.
"Stories do not belong to any screen; they always travel with the listener and belong to people."
"A film rooted in coastal Karnataka folklore like Kantara can electrify the whole country. A Malayalam mystery like Drishyam, where an ordinary man outwits an extraordinary power, crosses borders effortlessly. A Telugu saga like Baahubali or Pushpa becomes everyday vocabulary from Mumbai to Malaysia. And from Tamil Nadu, the relentless manhood of Vikram or the tender courage of Amarnath shows that what truly travels are not budget but sincerity."
Mohanlal speaks about Bigg Boss
JioStar turned the spotlight on South India's creative boom at a glittering Chennai gala, declaring a Rs 4,000 crore (Rs 40 billion), five‑year commitment to supercharge the region's media‑and‑entertainment ecosystem.
Mohanlal shared insights on the evolving landscape of South Indian digital storytelling.
"This is helping all the budding artists, directors and producers who have good content. We are from a small state, Kerala, and it makes us very happy to see us doing extremely well. Thank you very much."
"I have completed seven seasons of Bigg Boss. It is not a drama, but a beautiful show of positivity. There is a lot of criticism, but the show carries a lot of entertainment, emotion and discipline. It can inspire and bring people together. I'm lucky, it's like an addiction and I have signed on for another two years. Most contestants who leave the show become stars," Mohanlal added.
"When I heard about the Rs 4,000 crore plan," Nagarjuna said, "I thought it's a fantastic opportunity for young talent."
"Content is King. I didn't want to do the first season (of Bigg Boss) at all, but I got addicted to it. I am really enjoying it. What makes me happy is that even contestants eliminated in the first week become stars -- they come to me and say they've bought their first car or first apartment."
JioStar showcased a content lineup that includes an adaptation of the Hindi series Aarya titled Vishakha starring Kajal Agarwal, and new originals Kaattaan starring Vijay Sethupathi and Pharma featuring Nivin Pauly.
On the movie front, Lucky The Superstar and Kenatha Kaanom were announced.
The streamer's South Unbound showcase also gave a sneak peek at what's next for the platform. Returning scripted series include Kerala Crime Files Season 3, Save the Tigers Season 3, Heartbeat Season 3 and The Good Wife Season 2.
A fresh batch of originals is on the way: Cousins and Kalyanams, Moodu Lantharlu, LBW – Love Beyond Wicket, Resort, Secret Stories: ROSLIN, Lingam and Vikram on Duty.
On the reality front, Bigg Boss rolls out in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada, while new formats like Comedy Cooks, Mad for Each Other, Second Love Debut and Roadies gets its first Telugu production.
Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff
