Samantha Ruth Prabhu has been redefining what success means to her, and it has little to do with box office numbers or industry rankings. Speaking at the All India Management Association’s 52nd National Management Convention in Delhi on Tuesday, the actor opened up about how her health struggles with myositis have completely shifted her perspective on life and work.
“The previous version of me probably had five films releasing in a year because that was the symbol of a successful actor… You needed to have five films, a big blockbuster, and you had to be on the list of Top 10 actors. That was needed to be endorsing the biggest multinational brands. Today, I haven’t had a film release in two years, and I am not on any lists. I don’t have a 1000-crore film, but I am the happiest I have ever been,” she said candidly.
Looking back, Samantha admitted that her earlier self was constantly plagued by insecurity. “I was so fragile. Every Friday would change and give me anxiety that someone will claim my position tomorrow and I will be replaced. My whole self-worth was based on the calculator of that Friday.”
Now 38, Samantha credits small but consistent lifestyle changes for her newfound outlook. Keeping a gratitude journal has been particularly transformative. “Also, keeping a gratitude journal for one year changed my whole personality. From someone who was always looking for what’s going to go wrong, always fearing how I am going to mess up… if there was success, I would forget it the next day, but failure would stay for a long time. A year later today, my whole attitude towards failure and hiccups has changed."
She also highlighted how her journey has inspired her ventures beyond films. “I know a lot of my followers follow me for the glamorous life and movies that I do. But through my podcast, they also consume information on health. God forbid they need it one day; they will know where to go for it. With my wellness investments, the idea is to not land in that state of helplessness which I once found myself in. I do not wish it for anyone else.”
On the work front, Samantha was last seen in Citadel: Honey Bunny and had a theatrical release in Kushi (2023) opposite Vijay Deverakonda. This year, she appeared in an extended cameo in Subham, which she also produced. Up next, she will be seen in Maa Inti Bangaram and Rakt Brahmand: The Bloody Kingdom.
