Amid so much uncertainty, any film that manages to set the cash registers ringing is being hailed. And when it also gets good reviews, you’re as happy as actor Mrunal Thakur, whose Telugu romance drama, Sita Ramam, is doing quite well.

“It is not just the box office; people are loving it, too. Romance is an integral part of our lives, and I felt that romantic films had stopped being made,” she says, adding, “The kind of appreciation and feedback I have been getting from actors from the south is just incredible. Nagarjuna sir said, ‘You’re beautiful. One just falls in love with your character Sita’, to the point where his wife will scold him! I received compliments from these megastars. I don’t know what to say. Sometimes, a thank you isn’t enough.”

Of late, there have been calls to boycott not just certain films, but even Bollywood, an entire film industry where millions of people earn their livelihood. Ask the actor her opinion on such boycotts, and she replies, “I just feel achha kaam karte raho, log aayenge aur dekhenge. I believe in good work. There’s a quote ki achha kaam karte raho, logon ka kaam hai kehna. I don’t know about others, but I am whatever I am because of my audience.”

With pan-India films being everyone’s favourite term in the industry today, what does she feel is working in favour of films from the south and against Hindi films? Thakur questions in turn: “What is a pan-India film, first of all? It’s such a debatable topic. I am really happy to be part of this ‘Indian’ film. Today, what works is content.”