The coronavirus pandemic had a devastating effect on the film industry and left those associated with the industry high and dry. Many suffered losses and lost their hopes of a revival. Theatres were closed and many ended their businesses and the producers landed in huge debts with interest on loans increasing with each passing day. Even after the lifting of the lockdown, people were gripped with fear and were in two minds to come out and watch films in theatres.
This resulted in many filmmakers from various languages and regions inking deals with the OTTs as people got used to watching films in OTTs in a risk-free manner. In the midst of all this, Tollywood pumped in oxygen to the Indian cinema which was on the ventilator, and resounding hits like Krack, Uppena, and Jathi Ratnalu after the first wave, gave a glimmer of hope. After the second wave, Tollywood delivered sensations like Akhanda, Pushpa, Bheemla Nayak, and now RRR.
Tollywood thus turned the torchbearer for the Indian Cinema and now other language films are also slowly doing well. Sandalwood witnessed the sensation from James while Bollywood witnessed the sensation from Kashmir Files.