Oct 13, 2026 5:30pm IST
Director Manoj Kumar on The Surprise Success of ‘Premada Oorali’: ‘I Have Waited 18 Years to Prove Myself’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Director Manoj Kumar made his mark in Kannada cinema when his debut feature, “Akshi,” won a National Film Award in 2021. Five years later, his second film, “Premada Oorali,” has taken the box-office by storm. In an exclusive interview with Variety India, the director discusses the film’s unexpected success, industry perceptions and his plans for the future.
‘Premada Oorali’ recorded its biggest single-day collection of ₹8 crore on its 17th day and crossed the ₹52-crore mark in 18 days. When did you realize the film was making a mark at the box office?
The entire team was confident that the film would reach more people through word of mouth. That’s why we didn’t try to promote it as a big film. It is a sweet movie. However, “Premada Oorali”’s success has surprised us all because we didn’t expect these numbers.
Exhibitors say the film has brought audiences back to small-town single-screen theatres across Karnataka. What are your thoughts about this?
I am overwhelmed. It is difficult to put into words how I feel. Many smaller single-screen theatres have opened specifically to screen our film. We are really happy, and we wanted this success very badly. I have waited 18 years to prove myself. I have been working on this project for the past three and a half years.
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You waited it out to capture the June-July monsoon in rural farmlands. Did you have to convince your producers to wait until the 2025 monsoon?
It wasn’t tough to convince the producer to wait until the monsoon to shoot the film because it is our project, and he’s invested his money in it. He, too, wants the best possible results. That is very important. Normally, most producers and directors try to finish a film as quickly as possible. But I told my producer that every aspect of the film matters to the audience. So we waited about a year before resuming the shoot.
When I narrated the story to the actors, I also explained how I planned to shoot it visually. The locations play a crucial role in this film. Most of my cast members were newcomers, except Rangayana Raghu, so it wasn’t very difficult to convince everyone.
‘Premada Oorali’ proves that audiences are drawn to emotional family dramas, even amid the dominance of action blockbusters. Do you see its success as a sign that the Kannada film industry needs to rethink its content strategy?
Kannada audiences have always gravitated towards family dramas, sometimes more than action or suspense films. That was one of the reasons behind our approach. Co-producer and writer Devendra Naidu and I discussed the kind of film we wanted to make.
I won a National Film Award for my debut film, “Akshi,” in 2021. However, for three years after that, I did not get the right opportunities. We also realized that the Kannada industry hadn’t made musical love stories in quite some time. That is how we came up with “Premada Oorali.”
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After “Akshi” won a National Film Award, many people in the industry pigeonholed you as an art-house filmmaker who might not understand commercial cinema. Has the success of “Premada Oorali” proven them wrong?
Yes, definitely. After Akshi, I met many producers, but they were wary of investing in a commercial film with me. They assumed that because I was an art-house filmmaker, I might not know how to handle commercial cinema. I would not say I have proved them wrong. Rather, I have proved I can make the kind of cinema I believe in and am interested in. People have been calling me and appreciating my work. I am definitely getting a lot of opportunities now.
Do you feel that you will now be under pressure to match the success of ‘Premada Oorali’ when you make your next film?
Yes, I am prepared for the pressure and the expectations that come with it. Even when I was not working on a film, I didn’t waste my time. I wrote a lot of stories. But now I don’t want to make any immediate decision. This is a new scenario for me. I was confident about my film, but I didn't expect this much love from the audience. So, while I am enjoying the success, I am also thinking about what I want to do next. I have been asking people who approach me with offers for a month to decide on the way forward.
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