3 min readNew DelhiJul 2, 2026 09:38 AM IST
Samantha Ruth Prabhu has been making headlines ever since the phenomenal success of her film Maa Inti Bangaaram. Adding to the excitement, the actress hinted that she was pregnant during the film’s success celebration before officially confirming the news days later. Now, director Nandini Reddy has revealed that Samantha shot portions of the film while she was pregnant.
‘Had a car chase sequence left to film’
Speaking to Hindustan Times, Nandini shared, “We were doing ‘Thassadiya’ when I discovered that she was carrying.” The director explained that Thassadiya involved energetic dance moves and that the team also had a car chase sequence left to film. Fortunately, Samantha’s pregnancy came after most of the physically demanding action scenes had already been completed.
To complete the remaining song and the final action sequence, the makers ensured extra precautions were taken on set. “We took care that it wasn’t too strenuous for her and that she had enough breaks. It’s also not shot in top sunlight because we were heading into summer while shooting these. We took precautions to ensure she wasn’t exhausted too much,” Nandini said.
Maa Inti Bangaaram marks Samantha’s first major box office success since her divorce from Naga Chaitanya. Soon after their separation, the actress was diagnosed with myositis and took a break from work. While her subsequent projects failed to strike a chord with audiences, Samantha continued to persevere through both her illness and pregnancy.
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‘Samantha Ruth Prabhu is a superstar in every aspect’
Praising the actress, Nandini said, “She is a superstar in every aspect. Her performance, her humour, her emotions, her action, her dance… I mean, she’s done it all. Our attempt was to show her in all her glory. We knew that itself would do magic for the film because she’s so loved.”
She further added, “She looks tiny, but she’s got really broad shoulders on which she carries things amazingly well. We all worked together towards one goal while shooting—that is to elevate our hero, Samantha, in the best possible way. And I think everyone was game for it, so it was fun.”
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Maa Inti Bangaaram creates history at the box office
The film has now created history by becoming the highest-grossing female-led Telugu film. With worldwide earnings of over Rs 80 crore, Maa Inti Bangaaram has surpassed the lifetime collection of Anushka Shetty’s 2009 horror-fantasy blockbuster Arundhati, which had earned around Rs 70 crore.
Made on a reported budget of Rs 20 crore under Samantha’s banner, Tralala Moving Pictures, the film was also released in Tamil as Engal Thangam. According to the makers, a substantial portion of the production cost had already been recovered through non-theatrical rights ahead of its June 19 theatrical release, giving the project strong commercial backing even before it reached cinemas.
Samantha has shared that she will be taking a maternity break following the film’s success.
Samantha Ruth Prabhu in a still from Maa Inti Bangaaram