Anupama Parames-waran’s upcoming film Parada is finally set to hit theatres on August 22, nearly a year after its completion. Despite being a strong, content-driven film, its release was delayed due to the lack of takers in the industry—highlighting the persistent challenges faced by female-led projects.
“It was completed almost a year ago, but we didn’t get theatres due to big films occupying the slots. We waited for a good release date,” said Anupama.
She candidly shared the challenges faced: “If a girl is playing the lead in a film, no one is coming forward to take the film—whether it’s the producer, distributor or OTT platform. Even though it’s a good film, they don’t show interest. I don’t want to say it’s my fault, but that’s the reality. Over the past year, I’ve witnessed the producer’s and team’s hard work and I’ve come to understand that reality.”
The actress emphasized that this is not a small film. “People say it’s a small film based on the budget, but we’re addressing a big subject through this film. There are no action or dance sequences, but it is a commercial film. Finally, we got a release date for Parada — August 22 — and that is satisfying,” she said.
She added, “People assume it’s a female-centric film and prefer to watch it on OTT. But this isn’t a female-centric film—it’s a content-based film. There are no fights or dance numbers, but you’ll see a lot of emotions. After we made this film, many directors came forward wanting to make similar films.”
Anupama expressed gratitude to the distributors and OTT platforms for supporting the project. “This film is a bold step and we need support. I feel emotional seeing it finally get released. I hope everyone watches Parada on the big screen. We want to break stereotypes and I thank everyone who stood by us. I hope this opens doors for many more films like this,” she concluded.
Directed by Praveen Kandregula, the film is set to hit theatres on August 22, which also happens to be Megastar Chiranjeevi’s birthday.
