Exclusive! Samantha, Anushka Shetty were able to capitalise on the reach they got from superhits: Unni Mukundan

Malayalam actor Unni Mukundan’s Telugu ventures had him playing the male lead in either women-centric films such as Anushka Shetty’s Bhaagamathie and Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s Yashoda, or a supporting role in superstar-driven movies including Janatha Garage and Khiladi.

While Malayalam films have had a lot of women-centric films in the past decade, arguably, except for Manju Warrier, none have had the kind of reception that such films have in Telugu.

Unni, however, says that it’s unfair to compare female stars of different South film industries. “Both Anushka and Samantha have been part of big blockbusters that gave them a wide reach and put them in a position where they can capitalise on that image. This helps them grow as a star and go beyond the stereotypes that restrict actresses, especially in a male-dominant industry. Both Samantha and Anushka have grown leaps and bounds.”

The actor also explains that in all industries, “we have increasingly seen that the audience is not that receptive to films fronted by female stars as compared to those of their male counterparts”.

Also read: Exclusive! Samantha Ruth Prabhu never made us feel she was tired or in pain during Yashoda's shoot: Unni Mukundan 

The Meppadiyan actor also said the nature of the industry also has a huge role to play in how each film is received. “The Telugu industry comes up with a lot of movies that cater to different genres. This is not the case in Malayalam. The kind of movies also determine the way the industry functions. So, you can’t compare a Telugu actress’ growth to that of a Malayalam actress. The dynamics of both the industries are very different.”

Unni also says that things are changing in Malayalam too. “We had a Kumari come out recently in Malayalam. That said, the scale in which the films are made in the two industries are different,” he concludes.