Her pay envelope is next only to Ileana who reportedly demanded Rs1.5 crore for Snehithudu. Sources say that Samanta’s increased remuneration is the result of stiff competition between producers Dil Raju and Bellamkonda Suresh, who were vying for dates from the Dhookudu girl.
Both producers approached her to act opposite the same hero, Jr NTR, in their respective films but Samantha chose Bellamkonda Suresh thanks to the Rs1.25 crore offer. Bellamkonda, in fact, has a history of offering big pay packets and it was him who had given Ileana her first Rs1 crore cheque, for Bhale Dongalu.
“We don’t know how these rumours crop up since no producer offers fancy pay cheques to actors, so these figures are just unbelievable. It’s true that both producers, Dil Raju and Bellamkonda Suresh, had approached her and she could be doing both films back-to-back by allotting dates to Dil Raju from January and to Suresh from March-end,” says Mahendra, who is close to the actor.
Apart from the big pay packet, the actor is the new brand of Dabur Amla across South India, thus indicating her rising popularity.