Popular actress Samantha is stepping into the role of producer with the film Subham, under her banner Tralala Moving Pictures. The film is directed by Praveen Kandregula, with background score by Vivek Sagar and music composed by Clinton Cerejo. Subham is set for a worldwide release on May 9. Ahead of the film’s release, Samantha interacted with the media on Tuesday. Here’s the transcript of her interaction with media.
“As an actress, I know what a Friday feels like. But this is my first Friday as a producer. I’m extremely nervous. Only now do I truly understand the kind of challenges producers face. I’ve spent sleepless nights over the past week. Our post-production, mixing, and editing teams have all been working tirelessly. My respect for my team has grown immensely. Subham has turned out very well. It has a solid story, and I have a lot of faith in this film.”
“I’ve achieved a lot as an actress and received immense love. But I always had a desire to do something more. During the break I took, I did a lot of thinking. I couldn’t take up acting roles at the time and wasn’t even sure if I’d return to films. That’s when the idea of producing came to me. I thought, if I can’t act, I can still make films. I’ve been in the industry for nearly 15 years now. With all this experience, I felt it was the right time to start a production house. We began the film quietly, without any hype, and wrapped it up in eight months. Now we’re ready to present it to the audience.”
“There’s a reason behind naming the film Subham. The story revolves a lot around a TV serial, and in the show, everyone waits for the final ‘Subham’ card (the traditional end slide in Indian TV serials). That’s why we chose that title. As for the name of my production house ‘Tralala’ – it’s inspired by a childhood rhyme called ‘Tralala – Brown Girl in the Rain’. That’s how the name came to be.”
“Director Gautham Menon gave me my first break. He could have chosen any top actress at the time, but he gave a newcomer like me a chance. Now, as a producer, I want to follow in his footsteps and encourage fresh talent.”
“Many people come to the film industry with dreams. For this film, actors Shreya, Shravani, and Shalini worked incredibly hard. Watching them reminded me of my own early days.”
“As an actor, I never truly understood the producer’s hardships. If even a single scene doesn’t go as planned, the losses can be huge – both in terms of money and time. I now realize how valuable every minute is on set.”
“I wasn’t supposed to play the cameo role in Subham, but I didn’t want to ask anyone for a favor for my first production. So, I decided to do it myself. I’ll be promoting the film for another three or four days, but after that, the film is entirely in the audience’s hands.”
“We spent exactly what was needed for Subham. When people watch it, they’ll understand that nothing was overspent or underspent. Every story and script has its own budget, and we stuck to that.”
“Currently, I’m working on a film titled Maa Inti Bangaram. We resume shooting in June, and more updates will follow. I share a great rapport with director Atlee – we may collaborate on a project in the future.”
“The story of Subham is written by Vasanth. I hope it leaves a strong impact on the audience. Most women are hooked on TV serials. This film isn’t just horror or comedy – it’s more of a social satire. Whether it delivers a message or not is something the audience can decide.”
“I’m my own toughest critic. I know exactly where I’ve gone wrong in a film. For Subham, I worked hard in the editing room to ensure the film has no dull moments – from the first scene to the last, we made sure it flows smoothly.”
“I’ve always followed my heart. I may not be a smart businesswoman, I may not know much about the business side of films, but I made this movie because I truly believed in it. I can confidently say that Subham will live up to expectations.”
“I was shocked to learn that a fan built a temple for me. I couldn’t believe someone felt that much love for me. While I’m touched, I can’t encourage such things – building temples or offering prayers to me is something I don’t support.”
“Subham got a perfect release date May 9th falls right in the middle of the summer holidays. It’s a film that families can enjoy together. We were fortunate to get this date. Clinton Cerejo’s music is nostalgic, taking you back in time, while Vivek Sagar’s background score will leave a strong impression. I hope everyone watches Subham in theatres and makes it a success.”
