0:00 welcoming Samantha Ruth Prabhu in conversation with me only on Bollywood bubble
0:04 and this is a conversation
0:05 that I've wanted to have for the longest time
0:07 and thank you for doing this despite um I know the kind of health
0:11 issues that you are braving through to do this to be very honest I
0:15 understand it a little more than maybe others
0:17 because I've been through the same
0:18 but honestly speaking Samantha thank you thank you for doing this >> you know
0:23 I must thank you
0:24 because you kept me relevant for 8 months I remember you badgering every single
0:28 guest of yours one word about Samantha.
0:30 One word.
0:30 I was like, "Oh my god, poor things.
0:33 They don't want to say one word about Samantha.
0:35 Stop."
0:35 >> No, I think they always wanted to say something.
0:37 I have to tell you this
0:38 that I there was a selfish uh reason behind doing
0:41 that as well because I didn't tell you also till like 2 weeks ago
0:45 that I was actually diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder myself.
0:48 So, uh every attack on you felt a little more personal.
0:51 I would have come to that anyway.
0:53 So when people were giving you love,
0:54 I wanted you to feel love
0:55 because um my doctor just told me
0:57 that you know you should not stress emotional lows is something
1:01 that you need to avoid.
1:02 And I felt that from a distance
1:03 if I could just make you feel
1:05 that you're loved by everybody around that's what I can do for you.
1:08 So I just did that.
1:09 >> Thank you.
1:09 I felt it.
1:10 I felt it a lot.
1:12 Thank you.
1:13 >> But Samantha, this movie is special.
1:16 When I watched Yashoda, it was a very different kind of an experience.
1:19 You spearheaded a movie and a and a and a very poignant one.
1:23 This is an epic
1:25 and throughout this this you know you've braved through
1:28 so many personal battles.
1:29 Was it difficult to just dabble between being an artist,
1:34 being a human being and to make it happen?
1:36 Uh yeah, I think um yeah, it has been one personal struggle after another,
1:43 but I I've never asked why me
1:47 because if I had asked God why me,
1:50 then I would also have to ask him why me for all of the
1:53 good things that I have,
1:54 for all of the love, for all of the appreciation.
1:57 So it's not fair that I ask why me.
2:00 But I also believe that we learn most from our lows, our dark times,
2:06 and I believe that there's something to learn through this.
2:09 >> Your Instagram bio is something that I swear by.
2:13 >> I never thought that I would be living it every single day.
2:17 Damn, I would never have put it up
2:18 if if it was going to be
2:20 so true.
2:21 >> I think you manifested it.
2:22 >> I I manifested that damn thing.
2:26 How difficult was it to shoot the entire process like of Shakun Shakun Talam
2:30 is it's a difficult film you have to have mudras you have to have
2:34 moves while you're battling myioitis it's a difficult >> no uh I did not
2:39 get diagnosed during shakuntum it wasn't during shakuntalum
2:42 or uh or your shodda
2:44 as well it was after
2:46 that so uh this
2:47 when I was >> I was having personal struggles of another kind during shakuntum
2:53 yes Um so it wasn't physically I was fine.
2:58 >> You have been a face of a big change whenever I speak to
3:01 like you said uh a lot of your peers um from
3:05 that part of the world also
3:06 which has now become pan India.
3:08 Thankfully we have got acceptance
3:09 and thankfully you've been one of the biggest faces
3:11 because with family man too I think there was a huge acceptance also most
3:16 of them have always appreciated
3:18 and acknowledged your bravado in spearheading
3:20 that movement in a way.
3:22 I don't think you ever settled for
3:23 that whole thing that I would play the typical heroine. you kind of paved
3:28 way and a lot of women today not just you tiures whe the disciple
3:32 rashika mandana puja a lot of those people from
3:35 that uh side have actually taken
3:37 that but today people are women are not setting settling down for anything less
3:40 do you think how do you see
3:41 that movement happening right now >> I I absolutely love it like a little
3:45 girl came up to me
3:45 and said I canceled my dancing class
3:48 and I'm I'm I'm going for uh you know karate training >>
3:53 and I was like yeah baby you go uh
3:56 so I I think
3:57 that you know things are changing.
4:02 Yeah.
4:02 >> Things are changing so drastically for women.
4:05 >> Um and our voices are changing.
4:08 The need for a change in voice is so uh important right now.
4:14 It's important for women to be heard.
4:16 It's important for women to voice uh their wants.
4:19 And um I think that this movement is only going to pick up speed.
4:23 Did you did you at any point um feel
4:26 that your voices were not heard especially
4:28 when it came to the profession?
4:29 >> We didn't have a voice for it.
4:32 We didn't have a voice.
4:33 It um but I'm glad I'm I'm I'm
4:38 so glad that there's
4:39 so much of change.
4:41 And even with all of my personal struggles, yes,
4:44 there's been criticism and there's been trolling,
4:47 but there's also been
4:48 so much support. support
4:50 that a few years back I don't think would have been possible.
4:53 Um I I really don't think there has been a lot of support.
4:58 There has been a lot of women coming to me uh saying acceptance.
5:04 There's a there's a lot of acceptance not just young girls,
5:07 girls um my age also from a lot of older women
5:11 which is very surprising
5:12 because the way they their thought process
5:15 and their their ideologies things
5:18 that were fed into their minds
5:20 when they were young are very very different uh from contemporary women.
5:24 So I'm I was truly truly happy
5:28 and uh that there was such unanimous uh acceptance among women.
5:34 >> There was a point of time you know I think I messaged you
5:36 also the day I saw
5:36 that tweet when you went for the Shakun Talam um trailer launch
5:40 and there was that ridiculous uh tweet
5:42 that you gave a very nice answer to.
5:45 >> At that point I think I was also going through something emotional.
5:48 And I was breaking into hives
5:49 and everything because of my autoimmune
5:50 and I was like you know outer beauty is everything
5:53 and I was putting on weight
5:55 and everything and people don't know what is happening
5:57 and my friends was were sitting there they knew
5:59 and I was losing momentum
6:01 because metabolism takes a huge hit
6:03 and then you can't eat this even
6:05 if you are going on a diet
6:06 and then also things are not working.
6:07 There's a lot of deep level of frustration especially
6:09 when you're going through an emotional especially >>
6:12 that day I broke down seeing
6:14 that comment and I swear I was in an auto
6:17 and I broke down
6:17 and I felt like man um
6:19 if this is happening to her I don't know how she's dealing with it
6:22 because it felt like a more personal attack
6:24 because I've been through
6:25 that and every time people come
6:26 and say why are you why are you saying this why are you saying
6:28 that because you've helped me heal I swear I swear for the last one
6:31 month I have not had anything was it difficult at any point
6:35 because you've always put on a brave smile on your face.
6:38 Was it ever difficult where you like felt like why like what is the
6:42 world wanting of me?
6:44 You know, I've been through a a lot of struggle,
6:47 but I think this is the final,
6:49 it was a final breaking of shackles because as an actor,
6:54 you are always expected to display perfection uh perfection in your Instagram,
7:00 perfection in your interviews, perfection uh in your films.
7:04 Uh, and uh, I I can I could never get over like just letting
7:16 go and accepting myself for who I am.
7:19 I've always wanted to be better
7:21 and better and better
7:22 and look better and look better
7:23 and look and finally now I am at a place where I have no
7:27 control over this condition. the medication
7:30 that I have to take this the side effects of all of the medication.
7:34 One day is not like one day I'm puffy, one day I'm fat,
7:36 one day I'm uh sick,
7:38 one day I'm I have no control over how I look.
7:42 Um so this was a final shackle to be broken as an actor.
7:46 As an actor, you know,
7:48 your eyes are the medium to express emotions
7:52 and every day I wake up with pins
7:54 and needles in my eyes.
7:55 Um, every day that I go through this pain, I'm I'm sensitive to light.
8:00 I can't, which is why, you know,
8:02 I don't wear glasses just for fun and for style.
8:05 The light actually affects my eyes.
8:08 I have intense migraines.
8:09 I have intense pain in my eyes.
8:12 They swell from the pain.
8:13 And this is every single day for the last 8 months.
8:16 Now, this is probably the worst thing
8:17 that can happen to an actor
8:19 because your eyes are are the medium at
8:21 which through which you express.
8:23 So if there are any shackles of vanity
8:26 that needed to be broken uh oh it's broken all right you know it's
8:32 broken and you I have reached probably the lowest of lows
8:41 and and I've come creeping back up.
8:45 So I think that one comment about how I looked was it was like
8:52 please I I I've been I I am maybe
8:58 when I looked at it even my best I didn't feel
9:07 as strong and beautiful
9:07 as I feel now
9:11 because just because of life experience
9:14 because you know that others might see the outside
9:18 but what I see is someone who fought every single day for 8 months
9:22 and that's not easy.
9:24 >> Absolutely.
9:24 >> Yeah.
9:25 And that that's that's beauty there.
9:27 So say what you want about how I look on the outside
9:30 but I'm happy with who I am on the inside.
9:33 >> One thing that has not changed about you despite the experiences
9:36 that you've had in life is
9:37 that you're still as kind,
9:38 empathetic and and sincere to everything. every person
9:42 that you know everybody there is
9:44 so much of goodwill about you
9:46 and like you said
9:46 that I've asked them they have wanted to speak about you to be very
9:50 honest there have been conversations where before I did the interview they've spoken to
9:53 me and we have had those conversations of course in during the course of
9:57 the interview as well do you sense
9:59 that support does it give you power um also like you said
10:03 that in what ways has it changed you this entire experience of dealing with
10:07 myioitis >> um no um of first like you know both whether it's Kushi
10:16 or Citadel they didn't they waited for me without without pressurizing me they showed
10:21 they showed support every single day uh
10:24 when they could have been mean they could have put pressure they could have
10:27 made my life harder
10:29 but they were nothing
10:30 but supportive the indust my teams rallied for me um whether it was my
10:37 makeup artist hair stylist they didn't just abandon me they came back Even without
10:42 knowing when I was coming back,
10:43 they came back.
10:44 Everyone came back.
10:45 So I think that you know I always considered myself
10:48 as an independent person
10:49 that I was the one who was giving everyone love.
10:52 But this was the first time that I felt love and I needed it.
10:56 I needed it from friends.
10:58 I needed it from family.
11:00 I needed support.
11:01 I was helpless.
11:03 And so this time has taught me
11:08 that love is more than just um between a man
11:12 and a woman.
11:13 Love is all around
11:15 and love can come from the smallest to the biggest of um you know
11:22 like it can come from anyone
11:25 and it's still love.
11:28 >> Absolutely.
11:28 >> Including Sasha and Hash.
11:29 >> Absolutely.
11:30 We keep seeing them on your posts.
11:32 Um I have to ask you this before we go
11:34 that there is a certain change.
11:36 Uh today we see women cheering for each other
11:39 and most of the people I've interviewed
11:41 and they have spoken about you especially Rashmik I have to tell you
11:44 that whenever we meet forget interviews we only speak about you okay >>
11:48 and uh and she says she tells me also
11:51 that she's very possessive
11:52 and protective of you
11:53 and so is Tamana
11:55 and Rashi and all of them
11:56 that have spoken about you.
11:57 I just want to know
11:58 that do you sense
12:00 that kind of sisterhood
12:01 and sisterhood some is something
12:03 that you know eventually works the best for every every field.
12:07 >> Absolutely.
12:07 Um I remember that initially my in my initial days of the industry working
12:14 in the industry there were always these articles saying pitting one woman against the
12:20 other and I think
12:21 that somewhere that caused a bit of a coldness with one another
12:28 and I I remember thinking why was this the case
12:31 when and I remember saying no I'm I'm not going to succumb do this.
12:37 I'm not going to let uh this happen.
12:41 And I started openly coming out in support of um my contemporaries.
12:48 And I think that that actually made me very happy.
12:52 It made me very happy.
12:54 And when I meet uh these girls, they are wonderful.
12:57 They are sweet.
12:58 They are normal.
12:59 They're warm.
13:00 They are beautiful.
13:01 And they're so talented.
13:02 So, and there are so few of us.
13:04 So, why not appreciate one another?
13:06 And you know at the end of the day we need people to rally
13:09 for us and we have only each other.
13:13 >> Whenever there is something
13:14 that breaks unfortunately if you look at it from a different perspective
13:18 and if you look at it from a social standpoint majorly women are at
13:22 the on the side where they blamed where they are judged whether they're prejudiced
13:27 to to a certain extent
13:28 and that has happened with you. you know you've battled
13:30 that those kind of prejudices all your like in the last eight months I
13:34 think the kind of even before you came out
13:37 and spoke about you know battling myioitis you've been battling a lot of those
13:41 prejudices did it ever get to you just
13:44 because you were not coming out
13:45 and sharing your standpoint there was a point where it was completely at you
13:50 >> I think I've um these last two years have changed me
13:55 so much as a person um mentally,
14:00 physically, spiritually.
14:01 Um it has made me adapt to everything that is thrown at me.
14:10 Uh I don't think they've won.
14:12 I still feel like I'm winning.
14:15 >> Absolutely.
14:15 >> So, um and sometimes, you know,
14:19 when you don't when everything is is good and and normal,
14:25 there's no real growth there.
14:27 Um if you if you remember the thing
14:30 if you remember important parts of your life it was what what would you
14:36 say that would be
14:37 that like which was a defining moment in your life >> in my life?
14:42 >> Yeah.
14:42 >> Um me deciding to shift to Mumbai.
14:45 >> Yeah.
14:46 And that could have been a failure but it ended up being a success.
14:48 Right.
14:49 So I think that's
14:50 when the most growth comes from
14:52 when you when you are in moments where you think you're going to be
14:55 a failure. or you think
14:56 that you've lost or you think
14:58 that there's no way you can uh get up from this.
15:01 Those are defining moments in your life, not the smooth parts,
15:04 not the parts where everything is hunky dory.
15:06 So I think that at those are the moments where you grow the most.
15:10 And I believe that every time I've fall fallen is
15:13 when I have grown the most,
15:14 when I have learned the most
15:16 and when you know they say
15:17 that the the rubber band like the boomerang kind of thing.
15:21 So I I believe
15:23 that like that this this part of my life is probably what is going
15:28 to set me up for the future to be better maybe to be
15:35 because that's always happened in my life.
15:37 Every time I've I've sunk, I somehow come back stronger.
15:42 >> Yeah.
15:42 And I hope you already are and I hope you keep going at it.
15:47 Um, you have always spread love around you
15:51 and honestly that is the reason why I think you invite a lot of
15:56 love towards you and it would be um a shame
15:59 if I don't show my love towards you.
16:01 So I've got you a few things before before ending.
16:03 First thing first, I know you cooked for me.
16:06 >> Yes, I cooked for you baked for me.
16:07 Yes.
16:07 This is a brownie which is autoimmune diet prone.
16:10 What I have not used any of the items
16:12 that you asked me not to use.
16:14 So this is for you.
16:15 You can eat it whenever. as much as you want.
16:17 It will not affect you at all.
16:19 >> It smells so good.
16:21 >> Oh my god.
16:23 >> So sweet.
16:24 You It's so sweet.
16:25 >> These are the two things that I want to thank >> give you.
16:28 You can open this.
16:28 This is a letter.
16:29 >> I don't have a gift for you.
16:31 But thank you.
16:32 >> You don't have to give me a gift.
16:33 >> Thank you.
16:34 >> You can open that.
16:35 I want No, >> no.
16:36 This one.
16:37 This one.
16:40 >> Huh?
16:40 >> Okay.
16:40 >> I'm just happy that they gave it to me within like 12 hours.
16:52 Okay.
16:53 What is this?
16:53 Okay.
16:53 I I open gifts really badly.
16:55 >> That's okay.
16:55 Even I do that.
16:56 That's the correct way of opening gifts, guys.
16:59 >> Yeah.
16:59 See, like I'm Shakuntram here with so much grace.
17:04 So much grace right here.
17:11 What is this?
17:13 What is this?
17:19 >> What is this?
17:19 >> No, you to there's something you need to This This is the thing.
17:25 >> This is This is my gift.
17:26 Okay.
17:26 Wait.
17:30 >> God couldn't be there for everyone.
17:32 So, he sent healers to help others heal.
17:35 You are one such blessed soul, Sam.
17:38 A >> So, this is how the sky looked when you were born.
17:42 What?
17:43 Really?
17:43 >> Yes.
17:44 This is actually >> Wow.
17:45 That really >> in Chennai.
17:48 >> That's a pretty sky.
17:51 >> Of course it is.
17:52 Of course it is because >> it must have a special person.
17:55 Must have been special.
17:56 Yeah.
17:56 See, I told you.
17:59 >> Thank you.
17:59 But thank you sir.
18:00 >> I am going to put this up for sure at home.
18:02 That's beautiful.
18:04 >> Such a thought you give.
18:06 >> Thank you so much.
18:06 And I just want to tell you
18:07 that you should always remember
18:08 that you are loved.
18:10 You're appreciated and genuinely you're admired
18:13 and idolized like anything
18:14 and you may you be
18:16 that force of nature
18:16 that you are.
18:17 That's all.
18:18 >> Thank you.
18:18 Thank you.
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