The success of ‘Baby’ is a shot in the arm for Telugu heroines, says producer Sreenivas Kumar Naidu

Allu Arjun’s indulgence on the budding heroine is undoubtedly sincere and it is true that after ages, Telugu girls like Sree Leela and Vaishnavi Chaitanya are in the focus.

On a positive note, the success of Balagam (2023) and Baby (2023) came like a shot in the arm for Telugu artistes.

Also Read: ‘Baby’ review: This love story will tug at your heartstrings

Torchbearer of local artistes

Producer Sreenivas Kumar Naidu is a torchbearer for Telugu-speaking actors of this generation.

He always believed that content is king. He introduced Reshma of Ee Rojullo-fame (2012), Rakshitha of Anandi-fame (Tamil), Manasa of Romance-fame (2013), and Priya Jawaalkar of Taxiwala-fame (2018).

Now, he is introducing Harika as the female lead in his next flick.

Vaishnavi Chaitanya celebrating the success of ‘Baby’. (iamvaishnavi04/ Twitter)

Naidu and his director-friend Maruthi floated Mass Movie Makers. Baby is their product. The producer points out that it is not enough if the heroine’s film is a huge success. Their future is based on what they will do next, beauty and talent notwithstanding.

“Vaishnavi is not like the regular glamorous heroine. She will excel in roles that are designed for her personality. She falls into a particular acting slot and will have longevity if she picks performance-oriented roles. But if she signs films by the dozen just because Baby is a hit, she might have to face disappointment,” Sreenivas Kumar Naidu told South First.

The producer is spot-on with his experience and knowledge of the film industry.

He further says, “Apart from script selection, there is a certain hierarchy which female leads need to adhere to. If they work in a hurry with any hero, a certain league of actors won’t work with them and this will be a setback. Being selective and having patience is the first stepping stone to success.”

About the choice of movies, Naidu explains, “Telugu heroines score more in acting, But having said that, we need to note that there are few films designed around a heroine. So how many such films will cross her path? This means, their chance to work in regular commercial movies is marginalised. There is also a luck factor and they need guidance, too. If everything falls in place, there is a scope to shine.”

Related: Vaishnavi Chaitanya takes ‘Baby’ steps into the Telugu film industry

‘Encourage Telugu girls’

Sreenivas Kumar Naidu at Baby movie success meet. (SKNonline/ Twitter)

Sreenivas Kumar Naidu is one among 100 producers who chose a Telugu girl as a lead for his movie. But what about the rest of our producers?

Ramakrishna Nallam, the CEO of Enowate Talent Management Company, says producers should encourage and create local girls as stars. The girls, too, should use the opportunity and work hard on it.

“Just not producers, the stylists, photographers and anyone concerned with this field should give importance to our girls. North Indian girls are preferred in Telugu because they spend more time on costumes and photo shoots. They also build their network. Our local girls don’t invest much in these aspects,” he observes.

Producer Naidu concurs with Ramakrishna. He chips in: “Heroines from Mumbai girls and other places are giving the production a hard time these days. They are signing multiple films, taking the advance amount, and skipping shoots due to date clashes. So, this is the right time for our girls to enter.”

He remarks, “The non-local girls presume that they are pretty and that Telugu girls lag behind. The producers should look for Telugu heroines first and opt for girls from other languages if the locals don’t suit the roles. Our local talent isn’t conservative anymore and the makers should end their prejudices.”

Thank you so much @alluarjun sir for your words….really means a lot 🙏🏻🥰🥰 https://t.co/GrZnkjPJKw

— Vaishnavi_Chaitanya (@iamvaishnavi04) July 21, 2023

Barriers for Telugu heroines

Asked what is the main reason for the non-sustenance of Telugu heroines, Ramakrishna replies, “Our girls actually don’t make use of the time for transformation or to be in trend. They expect success overnight and want to be the lead heroine alongside stars and tier-two heroes. Also, they don’t work on improvising in short films, album songs or social media promotion instead they mimic successful artistes.”

He further adds, “They don’t think of fresh ideas or be consistent but are constantly involved in comparisons with their counterparts. They forget that they are newcomers and mix work, passion, and money which is why they aren’t successful. They don’t enjoy the creative process.”

Also Read: If ‘Bro’ gets mixed talk, ‘Baby’ might take control of the steering

‘Preference for Telugu girls’

Meanwhile, Sreenivas Kumar Naidu avows that he would only give preference to Telugu heroines in his films. However, he clarifies that he is certainly not against roping in talent from neighbouring states.

Well, there have been on-and-off discussions for Telugu-speaking heroines for ages. But why this sudden demand?

Sreenivas Kumar Naidu with actor Chiranjeevi and ‘Baby’ director Sai Rajesh. (SKNonline/ Twitter)

Naidu says, “Baby has collected ₹75 crore in two weeks, despite the continuous downpour. It is a huge hit for all those involved in the project. For Vaishnavi Chaitanya, it wasn’t an easy climb. The YouTuber worked to get followers on social media. Now, the Telugu producers have started to see the spark in their eyes which wasn’t there earlier.”

He hastens to add, “Newcomers, on their part, should enjoy the creative process and invest more time in the project. Instead, even without tasting success, many wannabe actors are demanding flight tickets and also seeking details like who the technical crew is!”

“They don’t want to walk the extra mile or even see what they have invested earlier to deserve the selection. Consistent hard work only helps in maturity and wise decision-making,” Sreenivas Kumar Naidu signs off.