At the Telugu pre-release event of Alia Bhatt’s film Jigra, actress Samantha and renowned Tollywood director Trivikram Srinivas made headlines. Trivikram’s speech, in which he praised Samantha, has sparked significant discussion on social media, especially for his comparison of Samantha’s popularity to that of superstar Rajinikanth. While he intended to compliment Samantha’s widespread fame, the analogy has been criticized for lacking logic and accuracy.
Trivikram’s Controversial Comparison
During his speech, Trivikram praised Samantha for her presence in multiple South Indian film industries, claiming that she enjoys the same level of popularity across Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada films as Rajinikanth does. However, this claim raised eyebrows, as Samantha has not appeared in any Malayalam or Kannada films to date, and her Hindi debut was through a web series (The Family Man 2), not theatrically. This stands in contrast to Rajinikanth, who has had a massive impact in multiple languages, delivering box office hits across South Indian languages and Hindi.
Popularity and National Recognition
One explanation for Trivikram’s statement might be Samantha’s rise to national fame after her performance in the chart-topping song “Oo Antava Oo Oo Antava” from the film Pushpa. But even in Pushpa, actresses like Rashmika Mandanna, who starred in the songs “Srivalli” and “Saami Saami,” also gained widespread recognition. Does this make both actresses as popular as Rajinikanth? Most would argue otherwise.
Audience Reactions
While the director might have exaggerated his point, the audience and industry insiders know that comparing Samantha to Rajinikanth, a legend known for his decades of influence across multiple industries, is a stretch. Samantha remains a beloved and popular actress, but such comparisons need a more nuanced understanding of both actors’ careers and contributions.