What does Bollywood have against the south Indian hero?

Bollywood always welcomes south Indian actresses with an open arm, but rarely accommodates its male stars. From as early as the 1960s, actresses such as Vyjayanthimala, Padmini,Waheeda Rehman ,Hema Malini, Rekha, Sridevi, Jayaprada,Vidya Balan have successfully migrated to Mumbai.

One of the major reasons suggested by Bollywood for south Indian heroes not being acceptable is their skin-colour and their inability to speak in Hindi in the familiar accent.

Says a top south Indian cameraman who has worked in a lot of Hindi films: "Let us face it - our Dravidian heroes are known more for their acting abilities than the accepted looks in Bollywood. If you have to be accepted as a mass star by Hindi audiences, you have to look like them. On the other hand, the southern girls who have made it big have fair complexion and can pass of as North Indians.