Producer Ravi Shankar of Mythri Movie Makers says top Telugu stars stand by producers and never insist on taking their full remuneration upfront. “Andhra King Taluka”, produced by Mythri Movie Makers, hit theaters on Thursday, a strategy usually reserved for big-ticket films with strong hype.
Explaining the decision, Ravi Shankar said they aimed at the Thanksgiving weekend in the USA. “Despite the risky Thursday release, we reached our opening target,” he shared.
The film, starring Ram Pothineni and Upendra, revolves around a star–fan dynamic. Ravi Shankar revealed that Ram waived his remuneration and instead opted for two domestic areas, while Upendra also slashed his pay. The director took half the amount and one area as well.
When asked if stars truly support producers during tough phases, he answered with examples.
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“Ram Charan didn’t take his remuneration even after Rangasthalam became a blockbuster; we paid him a year later. Chiranjeevi garu asked us to settle his payment for Waltair Veerayya only after OTT revenue came. Similarly, Ravi Teja and Mahesh Babu were patient and cooperative. Almost all our stars have understood our financial challenges and never pressured us for payments before release,” he said.
