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Reflecting on her journey of self-acceptance, Samantha Ruth Prabhu said it took over a decade to unlearn these patterns.
Samantha Ruth Prabhu opens up about her equation with father.
Samantha Ruth Prabhu, widely praised for her performance in Raj & DK’s Citadel: Honey Bunny, has opened up about her “strained” relationship with her father, Joseph Prabhu, 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 began. Samantha 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.
Samantha shared how this insecurity led to a spiral. “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 realize I’m not perfect and never will be. But imperfect is pretty cool too,” she concluded.
