Jun 23, 2026 2:34pm IST
Raj Nidimoru: “The Opening Day Numbers Was A Gentle Reminder To Everyone That Samantha Can Pull Crowds Massively” (EXCLUSIVE)
Director BV Nandini Reddy’s action-drama "Maa Inti Bangaaram" has completely upended trade projections, establishing itself as Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s biggest solo-led opener to date. What makes this cinematic triumph even sweeter is the real-life magic powering it behind the scenes: the film was penned by hitmaker Raj Nidimoru and co-produced by him and Samantha, making the project a true labor of love for the married power couple.
With global audiences backing the actioner, "Maa Inti Bangaaram" has pulled in a strong ₹46.04 crore worldwide.
The film began its domestic run with ₹5.35 crore net on Friday, building steady momentum over the weekend as positive word-of-mouth spread. Collections rose to ₹7.65 crore on Saturday and grew to ₹10.10 crore on Sunday. That hold continued into the workweek. By Monday, the film brought in an additional ₹4.10 crore net, taking its four-day domestic total to ₹27.20 crore. The steady turnout effectively answers industry skeptics who have long doubted the opening power of female-led commercial cinema.
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Speaking about the response, writer-producer Raj Nidimoru notes that the trade heavily underestimated Samantha's crowd-pulling potential before the release.
"Somebody was saying that, 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, it should be, 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."
Despite the strong opening numbers and viral videos of fans celebrating outside theatres, the leading lady herself remained cautiously grounded. She usually takes time to accept that something is truly successful and is not someone who immediately says, “Yes, we did it.” But this time, by Saturday or Sunday, she admitted that it seemed to be working. It marks a bit of progress, showing that her acceptance window has become a little shorter.
"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.'"
When asked how he is personally celebrating the film's big run, Raj shares a mix of public excitement and his usual creative routine.
"My celebration has been going with our team to different theatres and is enjoying these moments. And, you know, filming them and just, you know, 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."
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