New Delhi, Sept. 17 -- After a couple of slow years following the pandemic, smaller regional film markets such as Malayalam, Gujarati and Marathi have bounced back strongly, producing some of their biggest-ever box-office hits as increasingly language-agnostic audiences embrace authentic, relatable stories.

While Gujarati cinema's Laalo-Krishna Sada Sahaayate and Marathi cinema's Raja Shivaji became their respective highest-grossing films a few months ago, Malayalam cinema last month saw actor Nivin Pauly deliver the biggest hit of his career with Bethlehem Kudumba Unit, which soon went on to become the highest-grossing film in the language, surpassing Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra.

Entertainment industry experts say these languages are no l...