Speaking of which, here are a few mainstream Bollywood actors who have not only made their name in Bollywood but have also done some great regional movies. 

1. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan 

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is one actor who has captivated not just Bollywood but also the world. She has also done some great regional movies that have garnered her a lot of attention. Her debut movie Iruvar (Tamil) has an impressive rating of 8.5/10 on IMDb even now. This movie almost always tops the list of her best regional works and rightly so. 

2. Kriti Sanon 

Did you know even Kriti starred in a Telugu movie first and then joined Bollywood? But given the story, the talent, and the ratings, her debut movie, 1 – Nenokkadine remains to be her best regional movie. The movie is an action-thriller and also has an impressive cast including Mahesh Babu. 

3. Naseeruddin Shah

Ah, you can always trust Naseeruddin Shah to take up films that set the benchmark higher and higher. So, when we talk about his regional movies, it’s important to mention his Malayalam movie named Ponthan Mada. It revolves around the bond between the so-called low caste and his colonial landlord. 

4. Katrina Kaif

Hands down, her best work in regional movies has to be a romantic comedy Telugu movie named Malliswari. The cast of the movie includes- Venkatesh Daggubati, Kota Srinivasa Rao. Not just that, the film also got a rating of 7.8/10 on IMDb. 

5. Irrfan Khan 

In his lifetime, Irrfan Khan has been a part of many iconic movies. But if you have to pinpoint a regional one, then it’ll have to be a Bengali movie named- Shadows of Time. Although it is in the Bengali language, the film is actually german and also goes by the name- Schatten der Zeit. 

6. Tabu 

Tabu has done quite a few regional movies but the one that stands out the most is a Malayalam movie named Kaalapani. It is the story of a doctor who is put in a cellular jail or also known as Kaalapani. Tabu plays the role of the doctor’s wife. 

7. Manoj Bajpayee 

I’ll just address this once and for all, there isn’t a role that Manoj Bajpayee can’t play. Way before his latest works, he did a Telugu movie named Vedam which is by far his best regional movie. With a rating of 8.1 on IMDb, the story revolves around the threat a terrorist poses to the life of 5 people. 

8. Anil Kapoor 

When it comes to regional movies, Vamsa Vruksham happens to be one of his best regional works. 

9. Taapsee Pannu

Taapsee’s best regional movie till date is a Tamil film called Aadukalam. Along with Taapsee, even Dhanush is in the lead for the same. The movie won many awards at the 58th National Film Awards and also at the 59th Filmfare Awards South. 

10. Vidya Balan 

Vidya’s first movie is also her best movie in the regional category. Bhalo Theko is a Bengali movie based on Janmadin, a story written by Leena Gangopadhaya. The movie even won many accolades at the 51st National Film Awards. 

11. Radhika Apte 

Radhika Apte is synonymous with versatility. She has dabbled with multiple regional films and the best one is a Bengali movie named-  Antaheen. The cast of the film has some amazing actors such as Rahul Bose, Sharmila Tagore, and even Aparna Sen (mother of Konkona Sen Sharma). 

12. Adil Hussain 

Adil is one actor who seems to have done it all. Be it his acting skills or the diversity in his movies. Ranking high in the list of his best regional movies would Kothanodi, an  Assamese movie that revolves around multiple folktales from Assam. 

So, how many are you planning to watch now?