Samantha is one of the very few actresses in Telugu cinema who has a fan following similar to that of many star heroes and can pull audiences to theatres on her own.
Films like Oh Baby and Yashoda showed that Samantha can carry a movie on her shoulders and deliver good box office results.
Even though Shaakuntalam flopped badly at the box office and Samantha took a break from acting for some time, her popularity has not reduced. In fact, her comeback film Maa Inti Bangaram has created decent curiosity among movie lovers.
Among this week’s releases, Maa Inti Bangaram is generating the highest buzz. Advance bookings have started well, and several shows in Hyderabad are already filling up fast.
The film is also showing good strength overseas. North America pre-sales have already crossed $150K. Once again, Samantha is proving that she has a strong market in the USA, something very few actresses can claim.
If the film gets positive talk, trade circles believe it can target a $1 million opening weekend in North America and possibly finish its run around the $2 million mark. That would be a fantastic result for a female-led film.
Adding to the excitement are unconfirmed reports about Samantha’s role. Industry buzz suggests that she plays a Naxalite character in the film and that her performance is one of the biggest highlights, especially in the second half.
Interestingly, Samantha already impressed audiences with a similar role in The Family Man Season 2. Her character there had grey shades and received huge appreciation from viewers across the country.
However, if the reports about Maa Inti Bangaram are true, this time she will be playing a positive character instead of a villain.
That also makes things interesting because public opinion towards Naxalites is not so favorable today. The way audiences react to the character will depend on how the makers have written and presented the role.
For now, there is no official confirmation about Samantha playing a Naxalite. The reports remain speculative.
With the film just hours away from release, audiences will not have to wait much longer to find out.
