Though Samantha Ruth Prabhu has been on a year-long break from work since July last year to prioritise her health, following a diagnosis of the autoimmune condition called myositis, the actor’s strong fanbase continues to show unwavering love and support for her, as evidenced by the reception her social media posts get. And Samantha never misses a chance to update her social media ‘fam’ about her life and self, making them feel like DMs rather than mere public posts. From pictures from her recent photoshoots to random thoughts and even shoutouts to her colleagues for their accomplishments, Samantha, who turns 37 on Sunday, remains one of the most beloved stars in the South.
Born and raised in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, with Telugu and Malayali heritage from her father and mother’s sides, respectively, in one of her early interviews with The Hindu, insisted that she’s a Tamilian.Although originally slated to make her debut in Tamil itself with acclaimed cinematographer Ravi Varman’s first directorial venture Moscowin Kavery, which commenced production in 2007, delays due to various reasons thwarted her aspirations of entering the film industry.
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Nevertheless, the aspiring model soon found another opportunity, this time in the Telugu film industry, and with none other than the most celebrated filmmaker of that era, Gautham Vasudev Menon, in his romantic drama Ye Maaya Chesave (2010), starring alongside Naga Chaitanya, whom she later married. Since it was shot simultaneously in Tamil as Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa and Samantha had a small role in that film too, she made her on-screen debut in two languages on the same day —February 26, 2010. Celebrated as a modern-day classic by many, though the movies have since been subjected to scrutiny over their celebration of toxicity and stalking, Ye Maaya Chesave and Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa indeed left a lasting impression on viewers and Samantha, whose performance in a layered role, garnered praise. Thanks to the film’s storyline and her sparking on-screen chemistry with Chaitanya, coupled with the fact that the ending of the Telugu movie was different and more pleasant than that of the Tamil one, Samantha immediately became a crush for many, laying a solid foundation for her burgeoning career.
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The same year, she landed her first leading role in Tamil cinema in Baana Kaathadi, another romance film, opposite Atharvaa. The movie received acclaim, with its songs becoming chart-toppers, further bolstering Samantha’s career. Despite finally releasing later that year, Moscowin Kavery failed to make an impact, almost as if fate had intervened to provide Samantha with a more solid debut. Nonetheless, 2010 proved to be Samantha’s year indeed as she starred in another successful film alongside NTR Jr and Kajal Aggarwal, solidifying her position in the industry.
Look at this photo I found… @Rohit_Ravindran clicked it 14 years back on our terrace:) Congratulations on 13 years Sammy… here’s to many more decades 🥂😊 https://t.co/rlYoEvhMaG pic.twitter.com/RQ196MDeud
— Rahul Ravindran (@23_rahulr) February 26, 2023
However, the next year wasn’t as eventful for her, as she only appeared in two films — in a cameo role in Menon’s psychological thriller Nadunisi Naaygal and in a lead role in Srinu Vaitla’s Dookudu, starring alongside Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu. Nonetheless, the tremendous success of Dookudu significantly boosted her career. Another crucial factor contributing to her success was singer Chinmayi Sripaada’s voice dubbing for Samantha, which complemented her performances through expressive dialogue delivery. However, it soon became apparent that she was increasingly gravitating towards big-budget films led by male superstars, where women had little to no significant contribution.
As if understanding this, 2012 saw Samantha appearing in two movies, both of which offered her substantial career break with meaningful roles that extended beyond mere love interests. While her character in SS Rajamouli’s fantasy actioner Eega played a central part in the narrative, Menon presented Samantha with another significant role in the love saga Neethaane En Ponvasantham, which too was filmed simultaneously in Telugu as Yeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu, albeit with a different male lead. While Samantha received praise for her performances in both projects, it was her portrayal in Neethaane En Ponvasantham/Yeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu that propelled her career forward. Despite different male leads in the Tamil and Telugu versions, Samantha’s chemistry with both actors was exceptional. In the coming-of-age romantic drama, Samantha skillfully portrayed different stages of her character Nithya’s life, showcasing her versatility in romantic roles. Although Eega garnered more attention for its innovative sci-fi elements, Samantha’s performance grabbed attention, contributing to the film’s substantial success and further elevating her career.
With consecutive successes and an impressive track record, Samantha established herself as an icon, significantly boosting the box office prospects of films she starred in. Meanwhile, the booming market, coupled with the positive reception of these films led to a trend of more big-budget action movies featuring male leads and many leading female actors, influenced by peer pressure or money, began choosing similar projects. Despite this, Samantha refused to be pigeonholed and continued exploring diverse roles across genres. She then did the family drama Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu, the romantic comedy Jabardasth, the comedy-drama Attarintiki Daredi, actioners Ramayya Vasthavayya, Anjaan and Kaththi, the fantasy drama Manam, the political actioner Autonagar Surya and the action comedies Alludu Seenu and Rabhasa, further solidifying her status as an A-lister in both the Telugu and Tamil industries.
However, in 2015, Samantha encountered her first major setback as her performance in the Tamil film 10 Endrathukulla received significant backlash, and rightly so. Her portrayal as the antagonist in the movie, wherein she played a dual role, was deemed amateurish by almost all. Nonetheless, the success of her previous release, S/O Satyamurthy, mitigated the impact of this on her career. She redeemed herself with a compelling performance in the family drama Thanga Magan, alongside Dhanush. Though the film didn’t receive widespread acclaim, her performance resonated with audiences.
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Although she appeared in several hit movies over the next two years, they often failed to fully showcase her acting abilities. Meanwhile, in 2017, Samantha married her longtime boyfriend, actor Naga Chaitanya.
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However, 2018 marked a turning point in her career as she chose roles that challenged the conventional portrayal of women in cinema. Pushpa: The Rise director Sukumar’s period actioner Rangasthalam, Nag Ashwin’s biographical drama Mahanati and Pawan Kumar’s supernatural thriller U Turn were some of her notable projects in 2018, earning her high praise.
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Samantha didn’t stop there. She started 2019 with a bang, starring in the modern-day classic Super Deluxe, helmed by Thiagarajan Kumararaja, in a substantial and unconventional role, which many other A-listers might have shied away from, and handled it gracefully. In Majili that released later that year, the Samantha-Chaitanya equation worked yet again, further boosting her career. Her performance in the fantasy comedy Oh! Baby also received acclaim.
Despite the world coming to a standstill in 2020 owing to the Covid outbreak and subsequent lockdowns, Samantha had a release that year, although its production began the previous year. In Jaanu, the Telugu remake of C Prem Kumar’s blockbuster Tamil film ’96, starring Vijay Sethupathi and Trisha Krishnan, though she faced a daunting challenge reprising Trisha’s role from the original film which earned the latter widespread acclaim, Samantha tackled the role with grace, infusing her own unique style, and thus paying a worthy homage to the original film.
2021 was a significant year for her for many reasons. Firstly, it saw her venture into the realm of OTT and play a significant role in the . Though the way the character and the story, both linked to Eelam Tamils, were envisioned received backlash, it added another accomplishment to Samantha’s list of successes. The year also saw another major event in Samantha’s life as she and Chaitanya announced their separation after nearly four years of marriage. Unfortunately, this news also brought a wave of cyberbullying against her. However, Samantha responded to the trolls with her captivating appearance in the item number “Oo Antava Oo Oo Antava” in Sukumar’s Allu Arjun-starrer Pushpa: The Rise, leaving everyone breathless, thanks to her exceptional dance moves, fiery charm and swagger. Her performance added an extra spark to the movie, leaving a lasting impression on viewers and reaffirming that she remains resilient, with her popularity and talents as strong as ever, silencing many of her critics.
Samantha continued taking a more measured approach in 2022, appearing in just two films — the Tamil romantic comedy Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal, wherein she starred alongside Vijay Sethupathi and Nayanthara, and the Telugu action thriller Yashoda, which she headlined. While both movies did reasonably well at the box office, they failed to garner critical acclaim, although Samantha’s performances in both were solid.
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Watch Oo Antava Oo Oo Antava song here:
Before her hiatus in 2023, Samantha returned to the silver screen with one of her most ambitious projects yet, Gunasekhar’s historical romantic drama Shaakuntalam. Unfortunately, the film performed disastrously at the box office, falling short of recouping its significant budget. Following this setback, Samantha announced a year-long break due to her diagnosis of myositis. Despite undergoing treatment in the US, Samantha remained active on social media and promoted her next film Kushi. She also briefly returned to her home country to take part in the movie’s further promotions. However, despite showcasing Samantha’s adeptness at handling romantic roles with grace, Kushi failed to resonate with audiences and flopped at the box office.
Back in 2010, soon after making her debut with Ye Maaya Chesave, Samantha told The Hindu that she was trying her best not to get carried away by the compliments pouring in and was learning to remain composed. Cut to 2024, it appears that she hasn’t deviated from this mindset, still making efforts to maintain composure, picking up the pieces of herself that were shattered and trying as hard as possible to rebuild herself. Now, as she prepares for the release of her highly anticipated spy action thriller TV series Citadel: Honey Bunny, a spin-off of the American TV series Citadel, where she stars alongside Varun Dhawan, expectations are soaring, and her fans eagerly await Samantha’s return to the screen.
