New Delhi: Samantha Ruth Prabhu opened up about the challenges of living under constant public gaze, saying her personal struggles have often been scrutinised, but she continues to embrace vulnerability and views authenticity as a process of growth and learning.
Speaking recently at the NDTV World Summit, the ‘The Family Man’ star said her journey has unfolded in full public view, from her separation with ex-husband Naga Chaitanya to her struggle with Myositis, a rare autoimmune condition.
“Anyone who has followed any little part of my journey is very well aware of all the personal struggles - the separation, my illness - everything has been very, very public. It comes with a lot of repercussions, a lot of trolling, a lot of judgment and you’re constantly judged for being open and vulnerable,” she said.
The 38-year-old actress, known for starring in Telugu and Tamil hits such as ‘Eega’, ‘Theri’, ‘Rangasthalam’ and ‘Mersal’, said she does not believe in presenting herself as someone who has everything figured out.
“I don’t think authenticity is the final destination - it’s a work in progress. I don’t have everything sorted. I don’t have my life sorted, but I’m able to speak about it. I am not perfect; I might make mistakes, I might stumble, but I’m trying to be better,” she said.
The actress also spoke about the pressures of social media and how constant exposure to the lavish lifestyles of the ultra-rich can leave ordinary people feeling inadequate.
“I don’t think there ever existed a time when everyone had access to how the top one percent of the world lives, their vacations, their homes or their yachts. Someone in a village now has access to that information and I think that can be really demotivating,” she said.
Samantha said it’s important for celebrities and influential people to act responsibly online. “At a time on social media when you have that kind of access, I believe it is most important now that we also be responsible,” she said.
As an individual, Samantha said she is very ambitious but believes that ambition must come with purpose and responsibility. “Ambition should not just run wild. It should come attached with certain responsibility and purpose and that is why I feel that it’s very important for the youth today to select their mentors carefully, because that can define their entire life. That can define how stable their mental health is, what they can afford to dream, what they can learn from other people’s failures,” she said.
Samantha, who wowed people all over the country with her performance in the popular track ‘Oo Antava’ from Allu Arjun’s 2021 hit ‘Pushpa: The Rise’, said she took up the song to challenge herself as an artist.