One of the pioneers behind this movement was none other than legendary actor and filmmaker, Rajesh Khanna. He was instrumental in popularizing South Indian films across India by dubbing them into Hindi. The first South Indian film to be dubbed into Hindi was the 1972 Tamil film "Arangetram," which was renamed "Raja" in Hindi.

The 1990s saw a surge in the popularity of South Indian dubbed films, thanks to the rise of satellite TV and the growing demand for regional content. Channels like Zee TV and Sun TV began to telecast dubbed versions of South Indian films, which helped to further increase their reach.

In the 1950s and 60s, South Indian cinema, particularly Tamil and Telugu films, were gaining popularity across India. However, these movies were mostly regional and rarely traveled beyond their respective states. That was until the 1970s and 80s, when South Indian films began to make inroads into the Hindi-speaking belt.

End of story. Hope you found it interesting!