Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Nani, Sudeep react to fan craze at US screening of Eega

SS Rajamouli’s 2012 film Eega – released in Hindi as Makkhi – was screened recently at Beyond Fest in the US as part of a series of screenings of the filmmaker’s work at the popular festival. Videos from the film’s screening show audiences clapping, cheering, and going wild in the theatre, sparking reactions from the film’s lead actors themselves – Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kiccha Sudeep, and Nani.

On Monday, SS Rajamouli’s birthday, both Sudeep and Nani shared a YouTube video showing the screening on their respective Twitter handles. “A decade later, other side of the globe, same love same energy. Relived our first day first show memories with our Eega family and all of you in 2012,” wrote Nani. Sudeep tweeted, “Very few films, no matter how many times you watch, no matter how old, it neva fails to impress all over again. Thank you @ssrajamouli sir and team , and thanks to all you friends for this gift. Thank you Los Angeles.”

SS Rajamouli’s son Karthikeya tweeted the video from his account calling it a ‘magical’ moment and tagging the actors. ‘Wishing you were here,’ he added. To this, Samantha Ruth Prabhu replied by saying, “Beautiful!”

Eega was released in theatres in 2012. A supernatural thriller, it starred Nani as a man reborn as a housefly to extract revenge from his former business partner/killer (played by Sudeep) and to save his love interest (Samantha). The film received mixed reviews but was a box office success. It was the highest-grossing Telugu film of 2012, raking in over ₹125 crore worldwide. However, the Hindi version, released as Makkhi, was a failure.

SS Rajamouli later said that the film had been poorly presented and could have done better if publicised well. It has since gone on to develop a cult following, after TV telecast and subsequent digital release in multiple languages on OTT platforms.