Supriya Yarlagadda is a stand-out in the Telugu film industry, being one of the few women producers. She is the granddaughter of legendary actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao and the niece of superstar Nagarjuna. She produced the recently released Dacoit, starring Adivi Sesh and Mrunal Thakur. The film, which hit theatres on April 10, is continuing to perform well at the box office.
“I am very happy with the way the audience has received the film. It’s heartwarming to hear their response, and it gives me immense joy,” begins an overjoyed Supriya. The film was made simultaneously in Telugu and Hindi. Though it could have been shot in Telugu and later dubbed into Hindi, Supriya chose to make it in both languages without being finicky about budget constraints. “If we think only in terms of budget, we can’t do justice to the story. A film needs a certain magic, and we felt this story required that. We took all necessary precautions. Even if it meant extending the shoot by a few days, we believed making it in Hindi was important,” she explains.
Speaking about the special song featuring Jonita Gandhi and Pawan Singh, Supriya said they were committed to it without requiring much initiation. She praises Pawan Singh for his knowledge and the respect he has for the works done in Telugu. “He was excited when we asked him to sing ‘Touch Buddy’. His knowledge of and appreciation for Telugu cinema surprised me. Bhojpuri audiences love Telugu films, and they often talk about Nagarjuna’s Mass. Pawan Singh even asked if he could meet Nag sir,” she adds, expressing her gratitude for Jonita, who wasn’t sure how well she could be in front of the camera, yet agreed. “Jonita carried herself gracefully in the song after she became comfortable and confident. Whether it’s Jonita or Pawan Singh, you can’t bring them in just with money — they supported Dacoit with genuine interest and affection.”
Supriya says one of the biggest challenges was working with a largely new team. “Annapurna Studios and Nagarjuna garu have always encouraged new talent, and this film also introduced several newcomers. They were energetic, but I had to guide them about the systems and processes,” she says as she opens on the film’s unusual climax. She goes on to call the climax the film’s strength. “Every good film involves some risk. The climax is actually the strength of this film. I personally enjoy drama and love stories, which I feel are somewhat missing now. We wanted to tell this story honestly, and many viewers are appreciating the climax.”
She praises Adivi Sesh’s performance and says Mrunal’s onboarding was a happy surprise. “He delivered an outstanding performance as Hari. Both his and Mrunal’s characters have emotionally connected with the audience. I messaged her in 2023, but she was busy with multiple projects and didn’t want to hear the story then. But eventually, the script found its way to her, and she joined the project.”
Despite belonging to a renowned film family of Telugu cinema, Supriya decided to take wings of her own with the launch of SS Creations banner with Dacoit and is keen to continue producing films. “I love cinema and enjoy surprising audiences. Making a film like Dacoit has given me great satisfaction. Emotions like love, sacrifice, betrayal, and deception are timeless, and I would like to support such stories,” she expresses her vision in storytelling. Speaking about her favourite love stories, she says, “Manmadhudu is my favourite among my films. I also love Janaki Ramudu, Majnu, Satyam, and Geethanjali. The latter is a favourite among my friends, though it wasn’t fully understood when it was first released.”
Not many know that Supriya made her acting debut opposite Pawan Kalyan in Akkada Ammayi Ikkada Abbayi (1996), which was also his debut. She finds the confidence among the new crop of actors to be a very striking quality. “They are very confident and focused on multiple projects. Even in such a scenario, Mrunal dedicated herself completely to this film.” She also expresses her desire to make more female-driven stories. “Dacoit has given me a lot of satisfaction in that regard,” she says.
Describing the kind of sports Anurag Kashyap and Prakash Raj are, she reveals that they made time for her despite all things that would have stopped them. “I met him at Naga Chaitanya and Sobhita’s wedding and mentioned the project. Even before hearing the story, he said he would do it. Later, we narrated the script in Mumbai, and he really liked it,” she adds, saying that Prakash Raj, despite his busy schedule, took time out to be part of the film.
Her uncle Nagarjuna is currently working on his milestone 100th film. When asked for an update, she smiles, saying, “It’s better if Nagarjuna garu shares that himself.”
