Nagarjuna: RGG 2 has a message for women who are victims of stalking

Although there is no sound evidence that suggests that women don’t like to watch horror films, the general perception in Tollywood is that women shy away from horror comedies ’cos they don’t like getting spooked, never mind the comic elements. But the success of Raju Gari Gadhi 2 proves that concept-based horror comedies can draw women folk to the theatres by the hordes, reckons Nagarjuna.“Yes, Raju Gari Gadhi 2 does have elements of horror and comedy. But it’s primarily a concept-driven film that has its heart in the right place. That’s the main reason why the women are loving the film,” says the actor, who plays a mentalist, Rudra in the movie.
Samantha plays the ghost who haunts a beachside resort purchased by a gang of three unsuspecting friends — Ashwin (Ashwin), Kishore (Vennela Kishore) and Praveen (Praveen). The central theme of the film has struck a chord with the audience says Nag: “When I read news stories of innocent women being stalked and exploited through leaked MMS videos, photographs etc., every other day, it disturbs me to no end. Samantha plays one such girl, Amrutha, who commits suicide after being horribly wronged. She then becomes a ghost who is out to seek vengeance. The film also reflects on the tendency of the society to blame the victim in such cases and throws light on how it worsens their tragedy. The angst and trauma that families of the victims go through is heart rending to say the least. It’s a very relatable subject and that’s what has struck a chord with the women.”
Elaborating on what he loved about his role, Nag says, “In the film, we’ve just not presented a problem, but have also come out with a strong raisin d’ etre for women. The dialogues in the climax episode between Amrutha and Rudra written by Abburi Ravi spells out the message succinctly. Rudra actually offers a solution to Amrutha that holds true for many victims of MMS scandals — suicide is not the answer, it’s important to fight back and move on.”