‘Sam and I Have Always Had a Great Work Relationship’
Nandini Reddy says, “It’s great to be working again together in Maa Inti Bangaram”
Director Nandini Reddy is working on Maa Inti Bangaram with Samantha. The filmmaker talks about the project and her views on the changes in cinema, keeping pace with changes in audience expectations:
How excited are you about teaming up with Samantha after Jabardast and Oh Baby!?
Sam and I have always had a great work relationship and it’s great to be working again together. Maa Inti Bangaram is a story which is entertaining, and it packs a punch as well.
Do you think the Shero will have an attentive audience?
The Telugu audience is always eager and ready to watch films that are entertaining and have an emotional connect as well. While stars definitely have their pull, I think story is now slowly taking centre-stage and that’s why many small films also have done well. So whether it’s a male- or female-led project, I think content is the decider today.
Is it growing increasingly tough to make cinema on your terms at a time when mythologicals and action rule the box office?
Themes keep changing over the years; that’s really not the problem. Today people have more avenues to watch content on, and reels have massively changed viewing patterns and attention spans. But as storytellers, it’s our job to adapt to the changing terrain, tell relevant stories within relevant budgets. Only if producers survive will the industry survive. So some hard choices need to be made.
Who are the filmmakers who have inspired you?
There are many that I admire. The filmmakers who influenced me massively in my growing years were definitely Mani Ratnam Sir and K Viswanath garu, and of course the great KV Reddy garu. Apart from them Kundan Shah and Hrishida (Mukherjee) have made some of my favourite films. Yash Chopra represented the glamour and romance of the big screen for me. I can go on and on...
How do you view your journey?
Miles to go…so much to learn, so much to unlearn. When someone tells me something in my film made them happy, touched them, I feel I did something right. But lots to learn and lots to do.
