With a perfect track record, Sophia Paul's Weekend Blockbusters currently ranks as the most reliable and successful production company in Malayalam cinema. After making a significant impact on the film industry by bankrolling Basil Joseph's superhero film Minnal Murali, Sophia and her team made a strong comeback earlier this year and presented another blockbuster to the industry, Nahas Hidayath's RDX: Robert Dony Xavier, which earned over Rs 100 crore before concluding its theatrical run. The success of RDX is particularly notable as it impressed audiences during the high-demand Onam season, competing against two larger and high-stakes projects — Abhilash Joshiy's Dulquer Salmaan-starrer King of Kotha and Haneef Adeni's Nivin Pauly-starrer Ramachandra Boss & Co. Cinema Anatomy: Shane Nigam: From competing in a dance reality show as a kid to being the only jack-of-all-trades in Malayalam cinema today A producer known for her exceptional decision-making skills, Sophia Paul, however, recently expressed that she never anticipated RDX would turn into a blockbuster. During the Galatta Plus Mega Malayalam Roundtable 2023, she mentioned, "It came as a surprise to everyone when RDX became a blockbuster hit. Although we were 90 per cent confident that the movie would perform well, we didn't expect it to become a blockbuster. Leading up to the release, there was significant tension because we didn't secure the number of theatres and screens we had hoped for. We were launching it alongside a film featuring two top actors. However, we weren't overly concerned about the movie." "As it is an action-packed film, our intention was to enlist the best action choreographer, and that's why we brought Anbarivu on board to ensure excellence on the technical side. The director executed it well. Despite being a high-budget production, I wasn't concerned about that aspect. While each actor has a commercial value and though the three actors in our movie — Shane Nigam, Antony Varghese, and Neeraj Madhav — aren't A-listers, I didn't let the budget bother me. Yes, it posed a significant risk, but I was willing to take it because I believed in the content," she added. When Oscar-winning sound designer Resul Pookuty, who was also present at the roundtable, enquired about her confidence in releasing an action film without A-listers alongside a Dulquer Salmaan-starrer, Sophia reminded him that it was premiered during the Onam season when audiences anticipate multiple movie releases. "During Onam, our viewers are accustomed to watching several films. Even I watch two-three movies during the season," she added, emphasising that she was leveraging this Malayalee tradition. She, however, maintained that director Nahas Hidayath was apprehensive about releasing the film alongside King of Kotha. "He requested me to postpone the release after Onam, but I declined, explaining that I had invested significantly in the movie and needed to see returns," Sophia stated, leading Resul to appreciate her for her "commendable guts".
