Actresses Have Seldom Been Crowd Pullers, Says Lagadapati Sridhar

“Telugu audiences are a bit male chauvinistic and rarely step out to watch women-centric films in theatres. Actresses have often failed to become crowd pullers,” admits producer Lagadapati Sridhar. “While audiences in the region celebrate male heroes in superhero-like roles, they don’t extend the same support to female leads who carry films on their shoulders. It’s unfortunate, yet a sad reality,” he adds.

Sridhar points out that the number of successful lady-oriented films in Tollywood has always been few and far between. “Only a handful of actresses have managed to sustain this trend, while most returned to playing romantic interests opposite top heroes. Anushka Shetty and Samantha had a few hits in such roles, but for others, taking on author-backed roles has been a risky proposition,” he explains.

He further elaborates, “Audiences want glamorous heroines alongside leading male stars. They love seeing them in lover-girl or wife roles, which adds to their fan base. But when these same heroines attempt to ‘turn heroes’ and match their male counterparts in screen dominance, the support often fades. This disparity in audience preferences has hindered many actresses from charting a different path.”

Now, all eyes are on new-age actress Rashmika Mandanna, who is stepping into her first author-backed role with The Girlfriend, after previously romancing big stars like Allu Arjun and Ranbir Kapoor. “I hope young actresses like Rashmika break this jinx and change the game for their peers—much like Shraddha Kapoor did in Bollywood with the blockbuster Stree 2,” Sridhar concludes.