Maa Inti Bangaaram is one such film in recent times from Telugu cinema to prove that a female-led action film made on a modest budget can work wonders at the box office. Producer Himank Duvvuru reveals how such a film can be shot in 54 days and gross ₹100 crore at the box office, at a time when the Telugu film industry seems to struggle to stick to release schedules or deliver box-office returns as intended. While having a star like Samantha Ruth Prabhu as the lead, her production house, Tralala Moving Pictures, and a creative like Raj Nidimoru running the show help, Himank reveals it’s more than just the optics.

Himank says that at the production house, Raj and the writers’ room are always working on penning new stories, with them already developing 5-6 stories in-house. “It’s a very structured process that’s largely missing in our industry,” explains the producer, adding, “We shot our first film, Subham, in 38 days and Maa Inti Bangaaram in 54. This only happened because we don’t go to set until we know exactly what we’re shooting. It’s not on the fly.”

Himank reveals that at their production house, they don’t just question if something is crucial to the story; they also question if the manner in which it’s shot is necessary to the film. “Our team breaks it down, works closely with the direction team, and asks them questions. Why do you want to shoot this? Where do you need it to be done? It’s a healthy exercise to do it this way,” he says. Maa Inti Bangaaram was directed by Nandini Reddy.

Maa Inti Bangaaram featured numerous actors, including Gulshan Devaiah, Sreemukhi, Gautami, Manjusha Mukkavilli, and others. Himank says part of their process was to ensure they planned schedules based on all actors’ availability for group scenes. Explaining why this was essential, he says, “I don’t want to shoot the same scene from another angle on a different day just because we don’t have one actor for a family scene.”

Maa Inti Bangaaram was released at a time when exhibitors and distributors were sceptical that a female-led film, let alone an action film, would work at the box office. Himank says that only changed when they released the film’s teaser months in advance on purpose. “January is very early to release a teaser for a film with a May release date. But we knew something needed to be done to show people our potential,” he says.

Unlike most star-led films in Telugu cinema of late, Maa Inti Bangaaram was postponed only once, by a month, due to the IPL before its release in theatres in June. “A lot of times, by the end of it all, you are not ready with content. That creates doubt…sort of scepticism about so many delays. I mean, sometimes moving a release date works out okay. But you delay it five times, and people eventually lose interest,” he says.