Film director Nandini Reddy. (DC)

Noted film director Nandini Reddy discusses the success of her Maa Inti Bangaaram and the course she’s charting for herself as she moves forward in her career.

QWhat has the huge success of Maa Inti Bangaaram meant to you?

MIB is my sixth film. My first film, Ala Modalaindi, was a small one, but ran for 125 days. I have already seen massive success in my career, but this was certainly very satisfying, because I had fixed a three-digit target before any work started on the film. It’s a great confidence booster.

QThis was your third film with Samantha. Do you agree with the view that you have had a big hand in shaping her screen image?

Samantha and I have worked well together. We understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses and that certainly helps in working as a team. Her two female-led films have been with me and I’m happy to have landed both well.

QAnd now you are doing a series for Amazon with Trisha Krishnan in the lead, isn’t it?

Yes. Super excited about it. I tend to dive into uncharted territory in my OTT work. This is a series we have been working on for the last year-and-a-half. It was a pretty tough show to crack, writing-wise. It’s in the magic realism or supernatural space. We will be going on the floors in November with a great technical team.

QSo far, all your films have been Shero-led. Why are you hesitant to work with male heroes?

If you mean that I haven’t worked with Tier 1 male stars, that’s true. I wouldn’t really say I’m hesitant to do so, but it requires a script with the scale and design to match the audience expectations for a big hero. I am not averse to it; it’s just a question of finding the right fit of story and convincing the actor. Who knows, I may just surprise you. (Laughs)

QHow would you describe the current scenario in the Telugu film industry?

Right now, I’m so happy to see Telugu cinema shining bright. Recent films, from Chennai Love Story to Korean Kanakaraju and now Vishwanath & Sons, are all doing so well. Young love stories, family films or even a dark gangster saga like DC have struck a chord with audiences. What they all had in common was fresh treatment, reasonable ticket prices and great storytelling. So, if that’s the mantra, I am super happy.

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