Samantha Ruth Prabhu is an Indian actress, born on 28 April 1987. She works in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi film industries, but predominantly works in Telugu and Tamil films. Her career in film industries is amazing and achieved enormous number of her life goals. Not to forgot she is the recipient of four Filmfare Awards South, two Nandi Awards and a Tamil Nadu Film Award. Let’s deep dive into her personal life, movies and her net worth.
Samantha Ruth Prabhu Early Life
Samantha Ruth Prabhu was born on 28 April 1987 in Pallavaram village near to Chennai, to Telugu Anglo-Indian father Joseph Prabhu and Syrian Malayali, mother Ninette Prabhu. She is youngest among three children and have two elder brothers Jonath and David. As a native of Tamil Nadu, she can speak both Tamil and Telugu fluently. Completed her schooling from Holy Angles Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School and then went to Stella Maris College, Chennai for degree in Commerce. She started involving in modeling towards her end of undergraduate degree, working with Naidu Hall, where she was spotted by filmmaker Ravi Varman.
Personal Life
To begin with her personal life, it is important to mention that in 2012 Samantha Ruth Prabhu suffered from a long period of illness due to which she could not work for 2 months due to which rejected them. Furthermore, setback came when she was diagnosed with immunity disorder and later her body didn’t respond well to antibiotics.
In 2010 while shooting for Ye Maaya Chesave film with Naga Chaitanya, she fell in love with him and started dating together. On 29 January 2017 they both got engaged in ceremony in Hyderabad and later got married on 6 October 2017 according to Hindu rituals and on 7 October by Christian customs and became member of Akkineni Family. Samtha started using surname Akkineni after name from July 2021 on various social media platforms. Suddenly, speculations of separation with Naga Chaitanya started, after three months in October 2021, both announced divorce.
In October 2022, she was diagnosed with rare skin disorder called dermatomyositis.
Career
Debut (2010-2012)
Samantha Ruth Prabhu began her acting career with the Telugu film Ye Maaya Chesave (2010), directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon. The movie was simultaneously made in Tamil as Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa (2010), with music composed by A. R. Rahman. Samantha was cast in August 2009 after a successful audition. The film, shot in locations across India and the United States, was released on 26 February 2010.
In the film, Samantha played Jessie, a Malayali Christian woman from Hyderabad, who becomes the love interest of the protagonist, portrayed by Naga Chaitanya. She acknowledged that Gautham Menon significantly influenced her acting, helping her perform naturally in both dialogue-heavy and silent scenes.
Samantha Ruth Prabhu also appeared in a cameo role in the Tamil version, where she played an assistant director transitioning to acting. Both versions of the film were box office hits and helped Samantha gain recognition as a prominent actress. She later reunited with Gautham Menon and A. R. Rahman for the promotional music video Semmozhiyaana Thamizh Mozhiyaam, created for the World Classical Tamil Conference.
Samantha’s next release was the Tamil romantic drama Baana Kaathadi (2010), opposite Adharvaa, where she played a National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) student. This was followed by Moscowin Kavery (2010), which was the first film she signed but was delayed due to production issues. Despite its poor reception, Samantha’s performance was appreciated. Around the same time, she signed the lead role in Pookada Ravi, which was later shelved.
In Telugu, Samantha Ruth Prabhu appeared in Brindaavanam (2010), playing a supporting role alongside NTR Jr and Kajal Aggarwal, which became a commercial success. Her major breakthrough came with the blockbuster Dookudu (2011), co-starring Mahesh Babu, earning her a Filmfare nomination for Best Actress – Telugu. She also played lead roles in S. S. Rajamouli’s Eega (2012) and its Tamil version Naan Ee, which were massive hits, earning her critical acclaim and commercial success. The films grossed over ₹1.25 billion and were dubbed into several languages.
Samantha Ruth Prabhu collaborated with Gautham Vasudev Menon on the trilingual Neethaane En Ponvasantham (2012) in Tamil, Yeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu (2012) in Telugu, and a shelved Hindi version. Her performances earned her Best Actress awards in both Tamil and Telugu at the 60th Filmfare Awards South, making her the second actress to achieve this feat. Additionally, she won Best Actress awards at the Vijay Awards, Santosham Film Awards, and CineMAA Awards.
In 2012, Samantha also had to opt out of major Tamil projects, including Mani Ratnam’s Kadal and Shankar’s I, due to health issues. Despite this, she emerged as one of the leading actresses with a successful career in both Tamil and Telugu cinema.
Commercial Sucess 2013-2018
Samantha featured in Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu (2013), a commercially successful Telugu multi-starrer, and later appeared in the family drama Attarintiki Daredi (2013) alongside Pawan Kalyan, which became the highest-grossing Telugu film at the time. Her performance in the latter earned her awards at the SIIMA Awards and Santosham Film Awards and a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu.
In 2014, Samantha starred in Manam, portraying a dual role, and received her fifth Filmfare nomination for Best Actress – Telugu. She also worked on Autonagar Surya (2014), Alludu Seenu (2014), and Rabhasa (2014). In Tamil, she appeared in Anjaan (2014) and Kaththi (2014), the latter being the most profitable Tamil film of the year and earning her a Filmfare nomination for Best Actress – Tamil.
In 2015, Samantha Ruth Prabhu played dual roles in 10 Endrathukulla and appeared in Thanga Magan, receiving praise for her performance. In 2016, she starred in Theri and 24, receiving two Filmfare nominations for Best Actress – Tamil. Her Telugu releases included Brahmotsavam, A Aa, and Janatha Garage. Her performance in A Aa earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu. In 2017, Samantha appeared in Mersal, which became one of the highest-grossing Tamil films and entered the ₹200 crore club.
In 2018, she starred in Rangasthalam, Irumbu Thirai, and Mahanati, all of which were commercially successful. Her performance in Rangasthalam earned her a Filmfare nomination for Best Actress – Telugu, while her role in Mahanati earned her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress – Telugu. She also appeared in the critically acclaimed U Turn (2018).
Her filmography includes major hits across Tamil and Telugu industries, with multiple awards, including Filmfare Awards for Best Actress in both languages.
Experimental Roles 2019-Present
Samantha starred in her first women-centric film U Turn and later appeared in Oh! Baby (2019), a remake of the South Korean film Miss Granny, which grossed ₹40 crores. She then starred in Majili alongside Naga Chaitanya and earned critical acclaim. In 2020, she played Janaki Devi in Jaanu, a remake of the Tamil film 96, receiving praise for her performance. In 2021, she featured in the dance number “Oo Antava Oo Oo Antava” in Pushpa: The Rise.
She debuted in digital content in 2021 with The Family Man 2, playing Raji, a role that won her the Filmfare OTT Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series. Her first release of 2022 was Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal, followed by the Telugu film Yashoda. In 2023, she appeared in the mythological film Shaakuntalam and Kushi.
In 2024, Samantha played Honey in Raj & DK’s series Citadel: Honey Bunny alongside Varun Dhawan, portraying a struggling actress and earning praise for her action sequences. She will next appear in the series Rakt Brahmand opposite Aditya Roy Kapur.
NetWorth
Samantha owns several luxurious properties in Hyderabad, India. One of his notable possessions is a house in the upscale Jubilee Hills neighborhood. Additionally, he purchased a duplex apartment for approximately Rs 7.8 crore from Nalla Preetham Reddy. Another prized property in his portfolio is an apartment in Jayabheri Orange County, valued at a staggering Rs 100 crore as of 2024.