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. Her latest production, the fantasy comedy RaKaSa, releases on April 3, 2026.
Excerpts from her interview with Deccan Chronicle, where she talks about her journey as an actor and producer, and what audiences can expect from her upcoming film.
Congratulations on completing 10 years in the industry and with your production house, Pink Elephant Pictures! How does it feel?
It feels great. If I have to put it simply, I feel like I’m doing something right, and that motivates me to keep going. When I look back at the past decade, I feel proud of the journey. There were many learning experiences, and every project helped me understand the craft and the industry better.
You are among the youngest producers in the Telugu film industry. You began producing at just 21. How did that journey begin?
I didn’t start films at 21, but I did start producing around that age. Initially, I began with a YouTube series because OTT platforms weren’t really available then. It was driven purely by enthusiasm. I wanted to create something fun, something relatable.
A group of friends and I wrote a script and developed it together. We felt it was interesting enough to make into a project. When we realized we needed money to produce it, I thought of investing some of my savings. I didn’t think of it as producing; I simply wanted to make the project happen.
Even when I named Pink Elephant Pictures, I was actually thinking of it as a YouTube channel name. I never imagined that it would eventually become a production house. Over these ten years, I’ve held on to two principles: honesty and ethics. Those values have guided every decision I’ve made.
You have the credit of launching the first Telugu web series Mudda Pappu Avakai, worked on OTT series, and produced an award-winning film like Committee Kurrollu. What inspired you to get into film production despite the risks involved?
It actually started with enthusiasm rather than a calculated decision. When we made Mudda Pappu Avakai, there weren’t many OTT platforms. My friends and I wrote a fun story and wanted to shoot it like a short film. I used some of my savings to produce it without even thinking of it as “production.” At that time, I thought I was just starting a 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 its impact then. We were experimenting and trying something different.
Promotion played a big role. At that time, we reached out to actors we knew and asked them to record small video bites saying they were curious about the upcoming project. We gathered about six or seven such videos and released them to create curiosity.
That strategy helped generate interest even before the project launched. Interestingly, many promotional techniques I used back then are still part of my approach today.
Your first feature film was Committee Kurrollu. What was the biggest challenge while making it?
Making a film is challenging, but in my opinion, creating audience interest is even harder. Today, we live in an era full of distractions. People have short-form content, reels, and global cinema available instantly on OTT platforms. So the question becomes: how do you convince someone to leave their home and come to a theater to watch your film?
That’s where I spend most of my energy. Promotion isn’t just about statistics or repeating what worked for previous films. Every film needs a different strategy depending on its theme 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 a producer himself. Do you still take advice from him?
Yes, especially when it comes to scripts. If I need a second opinion, the first person I go to is my father. However, the final decisions are mine. My father doesn’t impose advice. He simply trusts that I know what I’m doing. He often jokes that I’m a better producer than he was, and that means a lot to me because he produced some fantastic films in his time.
His first production was Rudraveena, an extraordinary film that won multiple national awards. Even today, when people watch it, they are amazed by how progressive its story was for that era. Whenever I watch that film, I wonder how they had the courage to produce such a serious subject during a time dominated by commercial cinema.
Your production house seems to focus on giving opportunities to new filmmakers and technicians. Is that intentional?
Yes, absolutely… I want to keep working with newcomers whenever possible. Of course, it’s not always possible to have debutants on every project. But I want to maintain that spirit while encouraging talented young filmmakers and storytellers.
For example, my next film will again be with Vamshi Krishna, who directed Committee Kurrollu. He debuted with us, but now he’s making his second film. So in that sense, we’re growing together.
As a producer, you hear many scripts. How do you decide which one to make?
I make films that I personally would enjoy watching. When I go to a theater, I’m not watching a film as a critic. I’m watching it as an audience member who wants to forget reality for two hours and get absorbed in another world.
If a film’s promotions or trailer excite me, I go watch it. If they don’t reach me as an audience member, I probably won’t. That mindset influences the projects I choose. This film has fantasy, comedy, and drama combined in a fun way, so audiences can expect a very entertaining ride.
The biggest factor is my gut feeling. I trust my instincts because Pink Elephant Pictures itself was born from a gut decision. After that initial instinct, we evaluate the film’s commercial viability. Profit matters. I can’t invest huge amounts of money if I’m unsure about recovering it. I want to be both a reliable and a successful producer. Because only then can I continue supporting new filmmakers.
Sometimes we reject good scripts simply because the scale is too big for us at that moment. And if those films later become successful, I don’t feel bad. It just means they weren’t meant to happen with us.
Your cousin Sushmitha Konidela has also entered film production. Do you exchange notes about filmmaking since you started earlier?
We talk sometimes. When she began producing for OTT platforms, I shared some practical advice based on my experiences, things like how the industry works and what to watch out for. Working with family in the cinema can be challenging because emotional relationships can influence professional decisions. As a producer, you must stay objective. Working with family in the industry can sometimes be tricky because emotions are involved, but she has handled it beautifully. But seeing her handle such large productions gracefully makes me very proud.
Talking about your latest film, many people assume Rakasa is a horror comedy. How would you describe it?
It’s actually a fantasy comedy. People often confuse the genre because horror-comedy has become common. But Rakasa is more about mythical elements and adventure rather than ghosts or horror. There is suspense and thrilling moments, but the heart of the film is comedy and fantasy. Actor Sangeeth Shobhan plays the lead, and he’s fantastic. He constantly works with the director to explore different expressions, dialogue deliveries, and performance styles. He’s truly a director’s actor.
The Telugu film industry has had very few female directors. You are now working with Manasa Sharma again. Tell us about your collaboration with her.
When we look at the handful of women directors in the industry today, what stands out is their competence and creativity. They are genuinely talented. But if we start bringing people into the circle solely to support women, without evaluating their work against the same standards as the established male directors, we risk undermining the very goal we’re trying to achieve. Competence could be diluted, and women might be perceived as the weaker gender in terms of industry standards.
It’s better to have fewer women directors who are truly exceptional than to increase numbers just for the sake of representation. Creativity doesn’t have a gender; it’s about vision, skill, and execution. Personally, when I wanted to become a producer, not once did I pursue it because there were fewer women producers. My motivation was never about filling a gender gap; it was about passion and capability.
Working with Manasa has been a wonderful experience. She’s extremely dedicated and understands the story deeply. Our collaboration goes back a long way and works because we both trust the story and focus on making the best possible film rather than thinking about labels.
What can audiences expect from your latest offering- Rakasa?
Rakasa is a film that really takes you back to, you know, the stories that we used to listen to as kids. But if it is shot in a very, like, in a fantasy world, that you can relate to in today’s world. So that, I think, is a very nice combination of fantasy and comedy and also drama. It’s releasing on April 3rd, 2026, and it’s a film that would give you full ‘paisa vasool!
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