Samantha Ruth Prabhu's Maa Inti Bangaram has entered the prestigious Rs 100 crore club, becoming the first Telugu female-led film to achieve the milestone. The actor made a successful comeback after a three-year gap with the film. Directed by her close friend Nandini Reddy and produced by Samantha along with Raj Nidimoru and Himanshu under the Tralala Pictures banner, the film was released on June 19.
After the film crossed the Rs 100 crore mark, Samantha shared a heartfelt note on social media, recalling a conversation that reflected the perception surrounding female-led films before the release.
Before the film hit the screens, Samantha admitted she was constantly worried about whether people were even aware of the film. "Before the release of Maa Inti Bangaram, I remember obsessing over one thing: Were people even talking about the film? Were the assets we were putting out reaching people? Did they know this film existed?" she wrote.
She then narrated an incident involving a friend who called an exhibitor in a B-centre to gauge the film's prospects, unaware that Samantha was listening to the conversation.
"My friend asked, 'What do you think about Maa Inti Bangaram? How much do you think it'll open at?'"
According to Samantha, the exhibitor replied without hesitation: "Why would anyone watch a heroine film? If she's in a big hero's film, fine. People know her for the glamour. But a film led by a heroine? Who will come? Nobody."
Samantha said that response reflected the industry's mindset before the film's release. "I think real change only happens when someone is willing to take a risk. Most of the time, those risks don't pay off. Every once in a while, they do. For us, this one did," she wrote.
The actor expressed hope that the film's success would encourage the industry to look at female-led films differently.
"And I hope this is the beginning of something bigger. I hope that the next time someone calls an exhibitor in a B or C centre and asks about a female-led film, the answer isn't an instant no. Maybe it's, 'Let's see.' Because the truth is, we will never really know," Samantha concluded.