'Gently reminded again...': Samantha's film proves women-led cinema can succeed
What's the story
The action-drama Maa Inti Bangaaram, directed by BV Nandini Reddy, has surpassed trade expectations to become Samantha Ruth Prabhu's biggest solo opener. The film was written and co-produced by Raj Nidimoru and Prabhu. It has earned an impressive ₹46.04 crore worldwide since its release on June 19, per Sacnilk.
Unexpected success
'One of our producers was asking someone...'
Speaking about the film's success, Nidimoru told Variety India that the trade heavily underestimated Prabhu's crowd-pulling potential. "One of our producers was asking someone a few days before the release, 'What do you think about the buzz for the film?'" "And he was like, 'What buzz?...Female-led films don't have buzz...They pick up once the word of mouth starts.'" However, when the numbers came in on the first day, they were "gently reminded again that she can pull crowds massively."
Star's response
Prabhu's reaction to the film's success
Despite the impressive opening numbers and viral videos of fans celebrating outside theaters, Prabhu remained grounded. Nidimoru revealed, "She usually doesn't accept immediately that it's a success. So it takes her a bit." "So it's not like the very first day she'd be like, 'Yeah, we did it.'" "So but thankfully, this time, by like, I don't know, Saturday, Sunday or something, she said, 'I think it's working.'"
Director's joy
Nidimoru on his personal celebration of the film's success
When asked about his personal celebration of the film's success, Nidimoru revealed that he has been visiting different theaters with their team and filming these moments. "My celebration has been going with our team to different theaters, and is enjoying these moments." However, he also admitted to indulging in a more "boring" activity, going back to his room and starting to write a new story.