Producer Miryala Ravinder Reddy has spoken to the media about the success of 'Akhanda', starring Nandamuri Balakrishna in the lead. In this interview, he talks about the huge financial stakes involved, the blockbuster status achieved, his future projects, and more.
When we released the movie on December 2, I was running a deficit of Rs 22.50 Cr. I underwent a huge amount of pressure. The situation was really uncertain and the release date jitters were immense. I didn't want to wait out any longer because I was paying Rs 1.5 Cr in interest on loans. Salaries to the tune of Rs 25 lakh had been paid to staff. Luckily, we have scored a blockbuster.
The baby steps for the project began in August 2018. The budget obviously went up due to the coronavirus pandemic. We survived two waves and released the movie in a grand way. I won't use big words like 'guts' but I have to say that the combination of Balakrishna garu and Boyapati Srinu garu is a rare one. So, I had full confidence in the product.
The character Akhanda has worked wonders. The film has everything going for it, including a special song. The project had extremely huge hype going for it before its release. We were confident that 'Akhanda' will become a milestone of a movie. Every single distributor has achieved the break-even mark. In Nizam, we are expecting the final share to cross Rs 18 Cr.
Even in the Overseas market, our film has been a huge hit. The audience there haven't seen this as a Balakrishna garu movie. They are seeing it as a story.
I think the film should be remade in Hindi. The elements are more likeable for the Hindi audience. An Ajay Devgn or an Akshay Kumar would suit the story better.
My next project will be shot from March 2022 or so. A new hero will be introduced through it. I have no plans to make a web series. I have plans to launch a big project next year.
It's true that politics interest me. But I have no specific plans to enter the field as of now.
Regarding the ticket price issue in Andhra Pradesh, it's a collective problem. We all have to speak in a collective voice if we need resolution.
