13 July,2026 09:28 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Samantha Ruth Prabhu (Pic/Instagram)
Actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu's Maa Inti Bangaaram has been enjoying a successful run at the box office, surpassing Rs 100 crore in worldwide collections to become the first-ever woman-led Telugu film to achieve the milestone. Samantha celebrated the moment on Instagram, revealing that exhibitors had made sexist remarks ahead of the film's release. She said the film's success has helped change perceptions about female-led films.
She wrote, "Before the release of Maa Inti Bangaram, I remember obsessing over one thing: Were people even talking about the film? Were the assets we were putting out reaching people? Did they know this film existed?" She then recalled an exhibitor saying, "Why would anyone watch a heroine film? If she's in a big hero's film, fine. People know her for the glamour. But a film led by a heroine? Who will come? Nobody."
She went on to express hope that Maa Inti Bangaaram marks the beginning of a bigger change.
"I think real change only happens when someone is willing to take a risk. Most of the time, those risks don't pay off. Every once in a while, they do. For us, this one did. And I hope this is the beginning of something bigger. I hope that the next time someone calls an exhibitor in a B or C centre and asks about a female-led film, the answer isn't an instant no. Maybe it's, 'Let's see.' Because the truth is, we will never really know," she added.
Along with her post, Samantha also shared a video of herself joyfully reacting to the film's box office collections. Many congratulated the actor on the milestone in the comments section.
Maa Inti Bangaaram follows a woman who enters a traditional household as the new daughter-in-law - composed, obedient, and constantly scrutinised. What the family doesn't know is what she's hiding. When the past she buried refuses to stay buried, she must protect the very people who don't fully trust her without ever revealing who she really is, according to the official synopsis.
The film's success also coincides with a personal milestone in Samantha's life, as she and Raj Nidimoru are expecting their first child. The couple tied the knot in December at the Linga Bhairava Temple in the presence of their family members.
