Bollywood actresses who found stardom in Tollywood with powerful roles and massive fan following

Alia Bhatt entered Tollywood with RRR (2022), playing Sita alongside Ram Charan. Though her screen time was brief, her graceful performance gained praise across language barriers. The pan-India blockbuster cemented her presence in South Indian cinema, expanding her reach beyond Bollywood audiences and strengthening her nationwide stardom.

Kangana Ranaut’s role in Thalaivii (2021), a bilingual biopic of Jayalalithaa, showcased her command over Tamil dialogues and southern political nuance. Despite box office challenges, her performance was lauded, proving her versatility and ability to carry emotionally intense roles across regional industries.

Kriti Sanon’s Tollywood debut in 1 Nenokkadine (2014) opposite Mahesh Babu impressed with its sleek style and complex storytelling. Though the film underperformed initially, it gained cult status, and Kriti’s screen presence helped her seamlessly transition to mainstream Bollywood roles with greater depth and range.

Shraddha Kapoor starred in Saaho (2019) opposite Prabhas, marking her Telugu debut. While the film received mixed reviews, it performed well at the box office and exposed her to a massive South Indian fan base. Her action-packed role gave her space to explore a pan-Indian heroine image.