Late evening, people drift through the aisles at Pantaloons in Madeenaguda, pausing at a rack where soft fabrics, relaxed silhouettes and muted tones that quietly stood out. The moment marks a small but meaningful milestone for Samantha Ruth Prabhu, who was in Hyderabad to celebrate the first offline retail presence of her fashion label TrulySMA. For an actor who has spent over a decade in the spotlight, the step from screen to store felt both personal and emotional.
Sharing how it felt to finally see the brand enter a physical retail space, Samantha described the moment as something she had long hoped for as a young entrepreneur. “It feels quite surreal because we are a young brand, and this is what any young brand would dream of. To have a physical presence and to associate with a brand like Pantaloons is definitely a dream come true for a young brand like us. At the same time, we are looking to expand our online sales strategy by presenting to customers both online and offline, and this is a great start,” she says.
Over the years, Samantha has been closely connected with fashion, both on and off screen. Having appeared in projects such as Ye Maaya Chesave, Eega, Rangasthalam, Mahanati, Oh! Baby, The Family Man 2 and more, the actress has often experimented with different looks and styles. Speaking about that long association, she reflects on how fashion has always been part of her journey. “I have been in fashion for a long time. As an actor I am constantly experimenting with silhouettes, design and fabric while coming up with statement looks and pieces. Because of that, I have always had a close relationship with fashion,” Samantha shares, adding, “However, over the years my relationship with fashion has changed. With a demanding profession and with priorities shifting, I have found myself moving towards comfort more than statement pieces. Now it is about choosing clothes that feel easy and natural and about finding staple pieces that I genuinely look forward to wearing because I feel most like myself in them. That is where the idea of TrulySMA came from. I wanted to create everyday elevated fashion that moves with you through a work meeting, an evening out, or even an ordinary day. Therefore the thought behind this brand was to design clothing that feels effortless, comfortable and naturally a part of daily life.”
For her, it is less about chasing trends and more about designing clothing that supports the person wearing it. Reflecting on the philosophy behind the label, she shares that practicality and thoughtful design guide every collection. “I have reached a place where the focus is not so much on trendy but on functionality and design, and I don’t think fashion needs to transform you because I think it needs to move with you,” Samantha narrates.
Interestingly, Samantha believes her experiences as an actor have helped shape the way she thinks about clothing for women. Many of the characters she has portrayed on screen have made her think about the practical needs of everyday life. “I think that as I age and grow up and as the characters I play become clearer, I realise that a character who works and has a certain profession would need her outfits to look a certain way and feel comfortable. Because of that, I think I can empathise more with what women need and I am listening to what women need and I think that listening helps the process,” Citadel: Honey Bunny fame actress highlightes.
The journey of running a brand, she adds, has been very different from acting. While performance relies heavily on instinct, entrepreneurship requires patience and careful planning. “I think that with acting there is a lot of intuition involved, but with building a business there is much more than just creativity because there is a boring day-to-day checklist that needs to be done. It has nothing to do with intuition and instead involves research, understanding the customer, understanding the market, and understanding long-term goals,” she acknowledges.
Still, both worlds have one thing in common for her: storytelling. She explained that whether through films or clothing, she continues to express ideas and experiences in different forms. “As an actor I tell my story through the characters I play, and here I am telling a story through the products I put my name on. I think we are telling a story in different ways,” the 24 film actress mentions in conversation with CE.
At this stage of her life, balancing multiple roles has become its own adventure. Reflecting on the phase she is currently in, she sums it up in three words: “Work, balance and adventure.”
For Samantha, this phase of life is about exploring multiple passions. As her career continues to expand beyond cinema into entrepreneurship, the journey reflects a balance between creativity, ambition and personal evolution.