Before Maa Inti Bangaaram opened in theatres, the trade was quietly sceptical. By Friday evening, that scepticism had been firmly put to rest. The Samantha Ruth Prabhu-led action drama, written and co-produced by her husband Raj Nidimoru, has emerged as a success at the box office.
Performance that silenced the doubters
Speaking to Variety India, Nidimoru said the film’s pre-release outlook reflected a wider industry bias against female-led films. “One of our producers, was asking someone a few days before the release, what do you think about the buzz for the film? And how is it going? And he was like, what buzz? I mean, of course it’s coming. Female-led films don’t have buzz. They pick up once the word of mouth starts. So, that’s how it is. And so it was a harsh reality at that point. And even we were thinking, that’s how it is. But then when the numbers opened on the very first day is when we realised, film should be a film, male or female-led. And quite surprised and pleasantly surprised and gently reminded again that she can pull crowds massively,” said Nidimoru.
Samantha’s cautious reaction
Despite viral videos of fans celebrating outside theatres on opening day, Samantha herself took a little longer to accept the film’s success. “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,’” said Nidimoru, adding that it marked a small shift in her acceptance window.
Celebration and the next story
Asked how he was marking the film’s strong run, Nidimoru described a celebration that was equal parts public and quietly personal. “My celebration has been going with our team to different theatres and is enjoying these moments. And, you know, filming them and just, soaking in this excitement. And then there’s also the boring side of me. That’s a slightly boring way, which is come back and go to my room and start writing a new story,” said Nidimoru.
Directed by BV Nandini Reddy, Maa Inti Bangaaram, which was released in theatres worldwide on June 19, 2026, continues its theatrical run, with its opening-weekend performance already reshaping the conversation around the commercial viability of female-fronted films in Indian cinema.
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