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Samantha Ruth Prabhu was born to Joseph Prabhu and Ninette Prabhu in Chennai. Her father was a Telugu Anglo-Indian.
Samantha Ruth Prabhu poses with her mother; Joseph Prabhu (R)
Samantha Ruth Prabhu, who shared the heartbreaking news of her father Joseph Prabhu’s death on Friday, recently opened up about their strained relationship and the impact it had on her self-worth. In a conversation with Galatta India, Samantha spoke about struggling for validation and how it shaped her journey.
“All my life growing up, I had to fight for validation. My father was kind of like… I think most Indian parents are like that. They think they’re protecting you,” she said. Samantha Ruth Prabhu revealed how her father would downplay her abilities. “He actually told me, ‘You’re not that smart. This is just the standard of Indian education. That’s why even you can get a first rank.’ When you say that to a child, I really believed for the longest time that I’m not smart and not good enough.”
The actress admitted this mindset followed her into adulthood and her career. “When Ye Maaya Chesave became a blockbuster and people showered me with praise, I didn’t know how to accept it. I wasn’t used to it. Success does two things: either you think you’re invincible, or you feel undeserving of the love and praise you get. For me, it was the latter,” she said.
“I was scared people would wake up and realise I’m not all that talented or cool. I kept pushing myself to be better, to look better, to feel worthy of the adulation.”
Reflecting on her journey of self-acceptance, she said it took over a decade to unlearn these patterns. “It took me 10-12 years or more to realise I’m not perfect and never will be. But imperfect is pretty cool too,” she concluded.
Born in Chennai to Joseph Prabhu and Ninette Prabhu, Samantha Ruth Prabhu grew up in a close-knit family alongside her two older brothers, Jonathan and David. Despite Samantha’s rise to stardom, Joseph largely stayed away from the limelight.
