India, Feb. 19 -- From Manjummel Boys and Aavesham to Marco, 2024 saw a spate of Malayalam films gain significant success. While Hindi cinema grapples with fluctuating fortunes at the box office, south films have found takers across the country. And actor-filmmaker Prithviraj Sukumaran credits this to the growing exchange of talent between Bollywood and the south.

"There are more collaborations (between industries) than before. It's the natural progression of how cinema as an art form, and as a business, has evolved," says the filmmaker, who is gearing up for the release of L2: Empuraan, starring Mohanlal.

Probe further about this overarching shift in perceptions around south cinema, and Prithviraj tells us about a decade-old conversati...