Samantha Ruth Prabhu became an overnight star with her debut film. But contrary to popular belief, her success wasn’t served to her on a silver platter.
Exactly 15 years ago - on February 26, 2010 - Samantha Ruth Prabhu 'happened' to Indian cinema with the Telugu romance drama, 'Ye Maaya Chesave'. The rest, as they say, is history. Her debut film was a massive success and was followed by back-to-back hits. And within 4 years, she was labeled as the "most sought-after actress in the Telugu film industry". While her initial roles were all about glamour, she soon had her eyes set on meaningful cinema, and pursued it with passion. With time, she ventured into other Indian film industries as well, including Bollywood, gaining a solid fan base like no other. Today, she stands tall as one of India's highest-paid actresses.
However, it's also important to note that none of this came easy for Samantha. And it's not just about her journey as an artist or a star - both her personal and professional life have had their share of struggles. Even before films, her life was anything but easy.
(Credit: samantharuthprabhuoffl)
Today, as we celebrate Samantha's 15 years of journey in Indian cinema, let's have a trip back to her early life and learn what she did before becoming an actress.
Born on April 28, 1987, Samantha grew up in the Pallavaram neighborhood of Chennai, Tamil Nadu. She studied at Holy Angels Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School and then obtained a degree in commerce at Stella Maris College, Chennai.
It's worth noting that Samantha was a good student at school and college. In fact, she was a topper at her college and wanted to study further. However - as she has shared in her interviews – she dropped the plan as her family couldn't afford it.
During her teenage years, Samantha did various odd jobs to earn a living. For quite some time, she worked as a "welcome girl" at weddings for a nominal salary. Her job was to get dressed in traditional attire and welcome guests at weddings.
Meanwhile, she also worked as a model for multiple brands.
While working as a model, Samantha was spotted by filmmaker Ravi Varman, who advised her to try her luck in acting. Things fell into place, and she went on to make her acting debut with Gautham Vasudev Menon's Telugu film, 'Ye Maaya Chesave', starring opposite Naga Chaitanya. And well, no prize for guessing that she received massive acclaim from critics and audiences alike. Many labeled it as "one of the best heroine debuts in Telugu cinema", calling her a "scene stealer". Also, it earned her first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu, and won her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut – South and the Nandi Special Jury Award.
Samantha Akkineni in Ye Maaya Chesave (Telugu, 2010) pic.twitter.com/eFW2Jd4Tih
— main heroine hoon 💫 (@indianabhinetri) May 15, 2020
(Credit: main heroine hoon)
She became an overnight star and grew only bigger and bigger with time.
In her 15-year-long career, Samantha has received numerous awards, including four Filmfare Awards South, a Filmfare OTT Award, two Nandi Awards, and a Tamil Nadu State Film Award.
Besides being a successful actress, Samantha is well known for her humanitarian work as well. A few years ago, she received the 'Champions of Change: Telangana' award for her work in the area of social welfare through Pratyusha Support.
(Credit: samantharuthprabhuoffl)
In July 2022, she became the first South Indian actress to make it to Koffee with Karan.
In June 2023, she topped Ormaz Media's list of India's most popular female stars and IMDb's list of India's most popular celebrities.
Last year, she announced her debut as a producer with the film, 'Bangaram'.
Congratulations, Samantha, for completing 15 years in showbiz. Best wishes for all your upcoming endeavors!
