South cinema’s next generation is landing brand deals before their big-screen debut

For decades, the unwritten rule of Indian cinema’s celebrity ecosystem was simple, star kids debuted in films first and brand endorsements followed later. But that sequence appears to be quietly shifting. An emerging crop of second-generation celebrities is landing brand partnerships even before making their formal film debuts, especially in the South India region.

For instance, the most recent example is Sitara Ghattamaneni, daughter of actor Mahesh Babu, who has already featured in jewellery campaigns despite not having entered films yet. Another example is Rashmika Mandanna, who became the brand ambassador for Clean & Clear in 2015, before making her film debut in 2016. Actors such as Priya Prakash Varrier also attracted brand partnerships almost immediately after gaining viral social media fame. She was signed by Nestlé for a campaign even before her official film debut.

Sitara Ghattamaneni

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Priya Prakash Varrier

At the same time, several star kids in the South are also exploring creative pathways beyond traditional acting before stepping into mainstream cinema. Pawan Kalyan’s son Akira Nandan, for instance, is pursuing music and has shown interest in composing and performing. Similarly, Mahadhan Ravi Teja, son of actor Ravi Teja, is said to be exploring behind-the-scenes aspects of filmmaking rather than rushing into an acting debut.

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Industry observers say this reflects a broader shift in how the next generation of film families is approaching entry into cinema, often experimenting with different creative disciplines before choosing their on-screen careers. Social media has made star families far more accessible to audiences long before a film launch. Sitara Ghattamaneni, for example, has over 2.2 million followers on Instagram, while her brother Gautam Ghattamaneni commands hundreds of thousands of followers and a strong engagement level, metrics that rival many professional influencers.

Experts told e4m that in the social-media era, audiences are not just curious about stars but also their families, what their children are doing, how they live, and their personalities online. That visibility means the next generation of actors becomes culturally relevant even before they appear on screen, which is why brands are willing to partner with them early.

Advertisers, too, see a strategic advantage in tapping star kids at this stage, when curiosity around them is high but endorsement costs are still relatively modest.

“As an advertiser, if I sign a star kid like Sitara, I also get the halo of her parents,” said KV Sridhar aka Pops, Global Chief Creative Officer at Nihilent Limited. “You’re not just getting one personality, you’re tapping into the stardust of the entire family. And often you get that equity at a fraction of what you would pay for a fully established star.”

Why brands see value early

For advertisers, early collaborations with star kids are often both economical and strategically effective.

Signing an established A-list celebrity can cost brands tens of crores annually. By comparison, emerging personalities or celebrity children may be available for significantly lower fees, sometimes under ₹1 crore for a single campaign, according to KV Sridhar. This cost advantage allows brands to experiment with fresher faces while still benefiting from existing fan ecosystems.

Experts have pointed out that in many cases, the brand gets far more visibility by associating with a star kid than by hiring a mid-tier celebrity.

Interestingly, these partnerships are rarely structured as long-term endorsement deals at this stage. “Most of these are tactical collaborations, one project, one commercial, a one-day shoot,” Sridhar explained. “Brands typically avoid committing to long contracts with younger or emerging personalities.”

Social media further amplifies the impact. When a star parent shares their child’s campaign across their own platforms, the brand often gains access to a much larger audience instantly.

Dhanush Rajendiran, co-founder of brand-first content agency KekuMeku, a South Celebrity & Ad Production company, stated that the format of these collaborations is also evolving alongside digital culture.

“In many cases these are not traditional long-term endorsements but carefully chosen, campaign-led partnerships. The idea is to participate in the attention economy without overexposing the personality. If the collaboration adds cultural relevance or strengthens cinematic positioning, it works. But if it risks making them look like just another influencer, many families prefer to stay away,” Rajendiran added.

Some experts have also pointed out that within many South Indian film families, there is also a long-held belief that appearing in campaigns too early can blur the line between an actor and an influencer. explaining that this is why only a limited set of names have opted for early brand collaborations. For many of them, the decision is less about immediate earnings and more about positioning. According to Rajendiran, this caution is even more visible among male star kids in the South, many of whom consciously follow the legacy route of senior actors who built stardom through theatrical success rather than heavy endorsement visibility.

Kalyan Kumar, co-founder and CEO of influencer analytics platform KlugKlug, noted that the digital footprint of these star kids itself makes them attractive to brands. “In today’s attention economy, visibility on social media often matters as much as filmography. Many of these star kids already command follower bases and engagement rates that rival professional influencers, which means brands can access an existing fan ecosystem even before their film careers begin,” Kumar said.

However, some industry players argue that the real driver behind these partnerships is distribution rather than legacy alone.

“Brands purely buy distribution. I don’t think it has a direct correlation with lineage,” said Binu Balan, Co-Founder at Reel Tribe, a south based creative agency.

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Where the first brand deals come from

When it comes to the kinds of brands that partner with these emerging personalities, industry experts say youth-led and digitally driven categories tend to move first.

According to Kumar, early collaborations with South star kids typically come from sectors that prioritise youth relevance and digital storytelling rather than traditional celebrity endorsements.

Fashion labels, grooming and lifestyle brands, technology products and youth-focussed digital campaigns are often among the earliest collaborators, as they benefit from the curiosity surrounding emerging public figures and celebrity families.

The strategy is also influenced by the scale of fan ecosystems that star-led personalities can build over time. Even established actors who themselves entered the industry as star kids continue to command enormous digital influence. For example, Allu Arjun has more than 28 million followers on Instagram, with reels averaging over 15 million views and hundreds of thousands of likes per post, numbers that demonstrate the reach brands hope to access.

For marketers, partnering with star kids early allows them to build long-term brand association before these personalities formally debut on screen. At the same time, it taps into the curiosity and relatability audiences already feel toward celebrity families, a connection that can continue benefiting brands long after the individual’s film career begins.

The legacy advantage

Industry veterans also point to a generational shift in how celebrity lineage itself is perceived and leveraged today. According to KV Sridhar, younger generations are far more comfortable embracing the advantages of their family background openly, something that earlier generations often tried to downplay.

“Earlier, even if you came from a film dynasty, there was an expectation that you should struggle and prove yourself first. Today the thinking is different. If your parents have already brought you to 90, why start from zero? You can build from there,” he said.

For advertisers, this legacy connection itself becomes a powerful storytelling device. It also reflects how audience interest has expanded beyond just films. Today, people are increasingly invested in the lives of celebrities, their families, children and personal moments, sometimes making the family dynamic itself more compelling than a standalone celebrity endorsement.

Now, the question is no longer why brand partnerships are happening even before a film debut. Instead, the more relevant question for marketers and the film industry is how these early collaborations are being calibrated — between legacy, digital influence and long-term stardom.