One would easily relate to this gorgeous and composed Samantha Akkineni with the image she has created for herself on the big screen: from the Malayali Christian Jessy in Ye Maya Chesave and rustic Rama Lakshmi in Ram Charan-starrer Rangasthalam to a millennial intern in U Turn. Which is why the actor reveals she is initially reluctant to do a film with her husband and actor Naga Chaitanya in this week’s release Majili.
The making of this film was more intensive than usual for Sam and Chay because they are collaborating for the first time after marriage as director Shiva Nirvana has written the script with them in mind.
“I know that a film in our combination will have huge expectations among the audience and the pressure to live up to it is not an easy job. Initially, I was apprehensive about having the same work chemistry on screen and didn’t know if the audience would find the story of falling in love, again and again believable. Frankly, one cannot continue to express his/her feelings after marriage. I’m living a peaceful life and can feel the difference in the state of being in love before and after marriage. The script of Majili came to me when I was immersed in thoughts about why our filmmakers hardly make films that express your love for your partner after the marital bond. Shiva has made a beautiful film and I can confidently say that Majili will become a milestone in our careers,” expounds Samantha.
The actor finds similarities between her and the character she essays – Sravani. “We are similar on a surface level. Sravani is a strong woman, doesn’t speak much and over a period of time, she becomes mature in dealing with things. Majili is not a typical love story and is not a film for those looking for entertainment alone. The magic of this film lies in three characters – Poorna (Naga Chaitanya), Anshu (Divyansha Kaushik) and Sravani (Samantha), who display a whole gamut of emotions and personalities and speaks the language of love. The magnitude of the success depends on how the audience relates to these characters and their emotions,” says the Chennai girl.
Sam makes no effort to hide her excitement about working with Chay and says, “This film had given us a common time block to spend together. We travelled together to the location and it was a great experience. When the director said ‘cut’, unlike the earlier days I didn’t rush to the video monitor to see myself after every shot. Out of my excitement, I always went there to see how Chay has performed. It was really tough for me to keep things professional and occasionally, my enthusiasm has proved irritating for him. Otherwise, he has been taking it easy and keeps me reminding that it’s the director’s job and I shouldn’t really be worried about these aspects. We never discuss cinema at home, but the climax of Majili had broken these conventions this time around.”
She goes onto say, “Chay has played an intense role which shows his greatness and maturity as an actor. I believe this is his best performance to date.”
When pointed out a kissing scene of Chay with Divyansha in the teaser of Majili, Samantha is mindful of setting boundaries between real and reel-life. “There is always a fine line between what is known to be acting and what is real. We both are happily married and share a great relationship. For me, a hug or kiss is the same when I’m acting and so does for Chay. These things don’t really bother us,” says the 31-year-old actor.
The Akkineni daughter-in-law’s latest Tamil release Super Deluxe has turned out to be an unexpected treat. The damsel was overwhelmed as she settles into the attention coming her way. “I never expected a roaring success. I wasn’t sure of whether I can pull this character and I was prepared to receive backlash and abuses from trolls. But my character (Vaembu) has busted all myths and increased my confidence to take more risks,” avers an elated Samantha.
The Eega actor says that she doesn’t want to be branded as a glam doll and wants to choose scripts that offer versatility. “There is no room for regular roles and I’m ready to take up any challenging role that comes my way. Given an opportunity, I want to work in a sports drama. Our audiences are always fascinated to watch stories of people who went from zero to hero. I’m also longing to do a full-length comedy too,” says the actor.
So, What’s next? “I have completed shooting for O Baby! Yentha Sakkagunnave and it will be my third release (after Super Deluxe, Majili) for this summer. I will soon start working for 96 Telugu remake. It feels great to reprise Trisha’s role in a Telugu film after Ye Maya Chesave,” signs off Samantha.