Niharika Konidela on Producing Meaningful Cinema

Actor and producer Niharika Konidela has completed a decade as a producer with her banner Pink Elephant Pictures. From producing the first Telugu web series Mudda Pappu Avakai to the award-winning film Committee Kurrollu, Niharika continues to encourage new filmmakers while balancing creativity with commercial viability. His latest production, the fantasy comedy RaKaSa, will be released on April 3, 2026.

Excerpts from his interview with Deccan Chronicle, where he talks about his journey as an actor and producer and what audiences can expect from his upcoming film.

Congratulations on completing 10 years in the industry and with your production company, Pink Elephant Pictures! How does it feel?

It feels great. Simply put, I feel like I’m doing something right and that motivates me to keep going. When I look back over the past ten years, I am proud of this journey. There have been many learning experiences and each project has helped me understand the craft and industry better.

You are among the youngest producers in the Telugu film industry. You started producing at the age of 21. How did this journey begin?

I didn’t start filming at the age of 21, but I started producing at that age. I initially started with a YouTube series because OTT platforms were not very available at that time. It was entirely out of excitement. I wanted to create something fun, relatable.

A group of my friends and I wrote a script and developed it together. We thought it was interesting enough to be turned into a project. When we realized that we needed money to produce this, I thought about investing some of my savings. I didn’t think of it as producing; I just wanted to realize the project.

Even when I named Pink Elephant Pictures, I was actually thinking of it as a YouTube channel name. I never thought it would eventually turn into a production house. Throughout these ten years, I have adhered to two principles: integrity and ethics. These values ​​have guided every decision I have made.

You have the honor of launching the first Telugu web series Mudda Pappu Avakai, you have worked in an OTT series and produced an award-winning movie like Committee Kurrollu. What inspired you to start filmmaking despite the risks?

In fact, it started with enthusiasm rather than a calculated decision. When we made Mudda Pappu Avakai, there were not many OTT platforms. My friends and I wrote a fun story and we wanted to shoot it like a short movie. I used some of my savings to produce it, without thinking of it as “production”. At that time, I thought I was opening a new YouTube channel, but it slowly turned into a production house. I knew I was doing something new and interesting, but I didn’t fully realize the impact at the time. We tried and tested something different.

Promotion played a big role. We reached out to the actors we knew at that time and asked them to record small videos, saying that they were curious about the upcoming project. We collected and published 6-7 such videos to spark curiosity.

This strategy helped generate interest even before the project was launched. Interestingly, many of the promotional techniques I used then are still part of my approach today.

Your first feature film was Committee Kurrollu. What was the biggest challenge in doing this?

Making a movie is difficult, but I think attracting the audience’s attention is even more difficult. Today we live in an age full of distractions. People have short-form content, reels and global cinema instantly accessible on OTT platforms. The question then becomes: How do you convince someone to leave their home and come to the theater to watch your movie?

That’s where I spend most of my energy. Promotion isn’t just about statistics or repeating methods that worked in previous movies. Every movie needs a different strategy depending on its subject and audience. Committee Kurrollu was very different. Everyone involved was new; The director, the actors, even I was relatively new as a feature film producer.

Your family has a deep connection with cinema. Your father Nagendra Babu was also a producer. Do you still take advice from him?

Yes, especially when it comes to scripts. If I need a second opinion, the first person I turn to is my father. However, final decisions belong to me. My father does not impose advice. He just trusts that I know what I’m doing. He often jokes that I’m a better producer than him, and that means a lot to me because he’s made great movies in his time.

His first production was Rudraveena, an outstanding film that won numerous national awards. Even today, when people watch it, they are amazed at how progressive his story was for the time. Every time I watch that movie, I wonder how they had the courage to produce such a serious subject in an era dominated by commercial cinema.

It sounds like your production company is focused on providing opportunities to new filmmakers and technicians. Is this intentional?

Yes, definitely… I want to continue working with newcomers as much as possible. Of course, it is not always possible to have debutant actors in every project. But I want to maintain that spirit while encouraging talented young filmmakers and storytellers.

For example, my next film will be with Vamshi Krishna, who also directed Committee Kurrollu. He debuted with us but now he is shooting his second movie. So in this sense, we are growing together.

As a producer, you hear a lot of scripts. How do you decide which one to do?

I make movies that I personally would enjoy watching. When I go to the theater, I don’t watch movies as a critic. I watch as a spectator who wants to forget reality for two hours and dive into another world.

If a movie’s trailer or trailer excites me, I watch it. If they don’t reach out to me as a viewer, I probably won’t either. This mindset influences the projects I choose. Fantasy, comedy and drama are combined in a fun way in this movie, so viewers can expect a very entertaining ride.

The biggest factor is my inner feeling. I trust my instincts because Pink Elephant Pictures was born from an instinctive decision. After this initial instinct, we evaluate the commercial viability of the film. Profit is important. I cannot deposit a large amount of money if I am not sure that it will be recovered. I want to be a producer that is both reliable and successful. Because only then can I continue to support new filmmakers.

Sometimes we reject good scenarios just because the scale is too big for us at that moment. And if these movies become successful later on, I don’t feel bad. It just means that these things shouldn’t happen with us.

Your cousin Sushmitha Konidela also started film production. Have you been exchanging notes on filmmaking since you started?

We talk sometimes. When starting to produce for OTT platforms, I shared some practical advice based on my experience, such as how the industry works and what to pay attention to. Working with family in film can be difficult because emotional relationships can influence professional decisions. As a producer, you must remain objective. Working with family in the industry can sometimes be difficult because emotions are involved, but he handled it very well. But it makes me so proud to see her handle such big productions with grace.

Talking about your last movie, many people think that Rakasa is a horror comedy. How would you describe this?

It’s actually a fantastic comedy. As horror-comedy has become popular, people often confuse the genre. But Rakasa is more about mythic elements and adventure than it is about ghosts or horror. There is tension and exciting moments, but the core of the film is comedy and fantasy. Actor Sangeeth Shobhan plays the lead role and he is amazing. He constantly works with the director to explore different expressions, dialogue delivery and performance styles. He is truly a director’s actor.

There were very few women directors in the Telugu film industry. You are now working with Manasa Sharma again. Tell us about your collaboration with him.

When we look at the handful of female managers in the industry today, their competence and creativity come to the fore. They are truly talented. But if we start bringing people into the loop just to support women, without evaluating their work against the same standards as established male managers, we run the risk of undermining the goal we’re trying to achieve. Competence may decrease and women may be perceived as the weaker sex by industry standards.

It is better to have fewer female executives who are truly exceptional than to increase numbers just for the sake of representation. Creativity has no gender; It’s about vision, skill and execution. Personally, when I wanted to be a producer, I never pursued this job because the number of female producers was low. My motivation has never been to bridge the gender gap; It was about passion and talent.

It was a great experience working with Manasa. He is extremely dedicated and has a deep understanding of the story. Our collaboration goes back a long way, and it works because we both trust the story and focus on making the best movie possible rather than worrying about labels.

What can audiences expect from your latest product Rakasa?

Rakasa is a movie that really takes you to the stories we heard in our childhood. But if it’s shot in a fantasy world that you can relate to today’s world. I think it’s a very nice combination of fantasy and comedy, but also drama. It is a movie that will be released on April 3, 2026 and will give you complete ‘paisa vasool’!