Cinema transcends language barriers, says Allu Arjun — this year's CNN-News18 Indian Entertainer of the Year

"We need to celebrate the diversity of Indian cinema,” Irani said.

Arjun belongs to a family steeped in cinema — his grandfather, Allu Ramalingaiah was a legendary character actor known best for his comedic work in Telugu films, father Allu Aravind is a renowned producer, but perhaps more interestingly, his maternal uncle, Chiranjeevi Konidela, is arguably the biggest star from the Telugu states.

However, Irani's comment drew a rather profound response from Arjun, who said entertainment is a unifying force, and, regardless of the north of the country or the south, we as a country must move on beyond the language divide.

"Each of us has our own regional language. All of us are stepping into pan-India zone where language is not a barrier. We grew up watching north (Indian) movies, admired Hindi and Bengali cinema. Now, people are also watching south cinema," Arjun said, drawing whistles and applause from the audience.

Arjun's recognition by CNN-News18 comes at a time South Indian cinema is gaining popularity nationwide, and the actor was the second nominee this year from South India, aside from Team RRR — director SS Rajamouli and actors Ram Charan (who is Arjun's first cousin) and Jr NTR.

Pushpa: The Rise played a large role in bringing audiences back to theatres in 2021, and amassed over Rs 350 crore worldwide.