Samantha Ruth Prabhu

Samantha Ruth Prabhu (born 28 April 1987) is an Indian actress and film producer who works mainly in Telugu and Tamil cinema and, more recently, in Hindi streaming series. She made her debut as the lead of Gautham Vasudev Menon's Ye Maaya Chesave (2010) and became one of the most sought-after actresses in the south over the following decade, with hits including Dookudu (2011), Eega (2012), Attarintiki Daredi (2013), Kaththi (2014), Theri (2016), Mersal (2017) and Rangasthalam (2018). She has won four Filmfare Awards South, two Nandi Awards and a Tamil Nadu State Film Award, and in 2013 she became only the second actress after Revathi to win the Filmfare Best Actress awards in Tamil and Telugu in the same year.

Her performance as the antagonist Raji in the second season of Amazon Prime Video's The Family Man (2021) took her to a national audience and won her a Filmfare OTT Award. She followed it with the spy series Citadel: Honey Bunny (2024) opposite Varun Dhawan. Through her production company Tralala Moving Pictures she has produced Subham (2025) and Maa Inti Bangaaram (2026), the latter also her biggest success as a solo lead.

As of November 2026, her latest release is Maa Inti Bangaaram, released on 19 June 2026 and released in Tamil as Engal Thangam, and she headlines Celebrity MasterChef Tamil on Sony VIZHA and Sony LIV. She is also part of the cast of the upcoming Netflix series Rakt Brahmand: The Bloody Kingdom. She married filmmaker Raj Nidimoru on 1 December 2025.

Quick facts

Early life and education

Samantha was born in Madras on 28 April 1987 and grew up in Pallavaram, Chennai. She studied at Holy Angels Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School and took a degree in commerce at Stella Maris College, Chennai. In her final years of college she modelled for the Chennai retailer Naidu Hall, and she has said that she came into films almost by accident, after an audition during a gap year, and intended to stay only for a year.

Career

Debut and early films (2010 to 2011)

Samantha's first film was Ye Maaya Chesave, written and directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon and released on 26 February 2010, with music by A. R. Rahman. She played Jessie opposite Naga Chaitanya's Karthik; her voice was dubbed by Chinmayi. The film was a success and was later listed by Film Companion among the 25 greatest Telugu films of its decade. Samantha won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut – South and a Nandi Special Jury Award, and was nominated for Filmfare Best Actress – Telugu. She also made a brief appearance in Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa, the Tamil version shot alongside it with Silambarasan and Trisha.

Her other 2010 releases were the Tamil films Baana Kaathadi, opposite Adharvaa, and Moscowin Kavery, and the Telugu film Brindavanam, in which she had a supporting role alongside N. T. Rama Rao Jr. and Kajal Aggarwal. In 2011 she starred opposite Mahesh Babu in Dookudu, a major commercial hit, and made a guest appearance in Menon's Nadunisi Naaygal.

Eega and a double Filmfare win (2012 to 2013)

In 2012 she played Bindu in S. S. Rajamouli's fantasy Eega, released on 6 July 2012 alongside its Tamil version Naan Ee, with Nani and Sudeepa. The film was a critical and commercial success. The same year she reunited with Gautham Menon for the bilingual Neethaane En Ponvasantham (Tamil) and Yeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu (Telugu). At the 60th Filmfare Awards South she won Best Actress – Telugu for Eega and Best Actress – Tamil for Neethaane En Ponvasantham, the second actress after Revathi to win both in one year. Neethaane En Ponvasantham also brought her a Tamil Nadu State Film Award special prize, a Vijay Award for Best Actress and an Ananda Vikatan Cinema Award, and she later received the Nandi Award for Best Actress for Yeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu. She also made a cameo appearance in Ekk Deewana Tha, the Hindi remake of Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa.

In 2013 she appeared in Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu, Jabardasth, Attarintiki Daredi opposite Pawan Kalyan, which became one of the highest-grossing Telugu films of its time, and Ramayya Vasthavayya.

Commercial peak in two industries (2014 to 2017)

Samantha had six releases in 2014: Manam, in which she played a dual role and was well reviewed, Autonagar Surya, Alludu Seenu, Rabhasa, Anjaan opposite Suriya, and Kaththi opposite Vijay, one of the most profitable Tamil films of the year. In 2015 she starred in S/O Satyamurthy with Allu Arjun, 10 Endrathukulla with Vikram and Thanga Magan with Dhanush.

In 2016 she played Mithra, the wife of Vijay's character, in Atlee's Theri, released on 14 April 2016, a major commercial success, and starred opposite Suriya in 24. In Telugu she appeared in Brahmotsavam, Janatha Garage and A Aa, in which her performance as Anasuya won her a third Filmfare Award, for Best Actress – Telugu. In 2017 she reunited with Vijay and Atlee for Mersal, released on 18 October 2017, playing the reporter Tara in another major box-office success, and appeared in Raju Gari Gadhi 2.

Rangasthalam, Super Deluxe and Oh! Baby (2018 to 2020)

In 2018 she played Ramalakshmi opposite Ram Charan in Sukumar's period drama Rangasthalam, released on 30 March 2018, a major commercial success, and was praised for her supporting role in Mahanati, which earned her a Filmfare nomination for Best Supporting Actress – Telugu. Her other 2018 releases were Irumbu Thirai with Vishal, Seemaraja and the bilingual thriller U Turn.

In 2019 she played Vaembu in Thiagarajan Kumararaja's Super Deluxe, released on 29 March 2019, with Vijay Sethupathi and Fahadh Faasil; the film was widely acclaimed and won her a jury special award at the Zee Cine Awards Tamil. In Telugu she starred with Naga Chaitanya in Majili and headlined B. V. Nandini Reddy's Oh! Baby, a remake of the Korean film Miss Granny released on 5 July 2019, in which she played the young version of a seventy-year-old woman who suddenly finds herself young again. Oh! Baby was a critical and commercial success and won her Best Actress at the Zee Cine Awards Telugu, the Critics Choice Film Awards and SIIMA. In 2020 she starred in Jaanu, the Telugu remake of 96, hosted the Dussehra special of Bigg Boss Telugu season 4 on Star Maa, and hosted the Aha talk show Sam Jam.

The Family Man and Hindi streaming (2021 to 2024)

Samantha's first Hindi project was the second season of the spy series The Family Man, created by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D.K. and released on Amazon Prime Video on 4 June 2021. She played Raji, a Tamil rebel operative and the season's main antagonist, opposite Manoj Bajpayee. Critics singled out her performance, and she won the Filmfare OTT Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series and a Best Performance award at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. The same year she made a special appearance in the song "Oo Antava" in Pushpa: The Rise.

In 2022 she played Khatija in Vignesh Shivan's Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal, released on 28 April 2022 with Vijay Sethupathi and Nayanthara, which drew mixed reviews, and headlined the Telugu thriller Yashoda, which brought her Filmfare and SIIMA nominations for Best Actress – Telugu. Her 2023 releases, the mythological Shaakuntalam and Kushi opposite Vijay Deverakonda, underperformed. In August 2023 she was chief guest at the India Day Parade in New York.

She returned to Hindi streaming with Citadel: Honey Bunny, the Indian instalment of the Citadel franchise directed by Raj and DK and released on Amazon Prime Video in November 2024. She played Honey opposite Varun Dhawan's Bunny. At the IIFA Utsavam in 2024 she was named Woman of the Year in Indian Cinema.

Producer: Subham and Maa Inti Bangaaram (2025 to 2026)

Samantha launched her production company Tralala Moving Pictures in December 2023 with producing partner Himank Duvvuru. Its first release was Subham, a Telugu horror comedy directed by Praveen Kandregula and released on 9 May 2025, in which she also appeared in a cameo as Maya Matasri. The film was well received, with Cinema Express rating it 4 out of 5.

Her second production, Maa Inti Bangaaram, directed by B. V. Nandini Reddy, with music by Santhosh Narayanan, was released on 19 June 2026 after being moved from a May date. Samantha played Swarna alongside Gulshan Devaiah and Diganth Manchale, and a Tamil version was released as Engal Thangam. It opened strongly and within days became her highest-grossing film as a solo lead, overtaking Oh! Baby. Critics praised her performance. It began streaming on JioHotstar on 17 July 2026.

Celebrity MasterChef Tamil and upcoming work

In August 2026 Samantha was announced as the headliner of Celebrity MasterChef Tamil, produced by Banijay Asia for the new channel Sony VIZHA, with streaming on Sony LIV; the show premiered on 19 October 2026. She is also part of the cast of Rakt Brahmand: The Bloody Kingdom, a Netflix series directed by Rahi Anil Barve and produced by Raj and DK, alongside Aditya Roy Kapur, Ali Fazal and Wamiqa Gabbi. The series was in production during 2025 and no release date has been announced.

Filmography

Television and web series

Awards

Other work

Samantha founded the women's clothing label Saaki World in September 2020. She runs the Pratyusha Support trust, a charity for women and children, and in 2017 she was named brand ambassador for Telangana Handlooms.

Personal life

Samantha was previously married to actor Naga Chaitanya, whom she wed in October 2017. She married filmmaker Raj Nidimoru, her collaborator on The Family Man and Citadel: Honey Bunny, on 1 December 2025 in a private ceremony in Coimbatore.

FAQ

What was Samantha Ruth Prabhu's first film?

Ye Maaya Chesave (2010), directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon, in which she played Jessie opposite Naga Chaitanya. It won her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut – South.

What is Samantha Ruth Prabhu's latest film?

Maa Inti Bangaaram, released on 19 June 2026 and produced by her own company Tralala Moving Pictures, with a Tamil version titled Engal Thangam. It became her highest-grossing film as a solo lead.

Which Tamil films has Samantha acted in with Vijay?

Kaththi (2014), Theri (2016) and Mersal (2017). Theri and Mersal were both directed by Atlee.

How many Filmfare Awards has Samantha won?

Four Filmfare Awards South: Best Female Debut for Ye Maaya Chesave, Best Actress – Telugu for Eega and for A Aa, and Best Actress – Tamil for Neethaane En Ponvasantham. She has also won a Filmfare OTT Award for The Family Man season 2.

Who is Samantha Ruth Prabhu's husband?

Filmmaker Raj Nidimoru, one half of the director duo Raj and DK. They married on 1 December 2025 in Coimbatore.

What is Samantha doing now?

As of November 2026 she headlines Celebrity MasterChef Tamil on Sony VIZHA and Sony LIV, and her next announced project is the Netflix series Rakt Brahmand: The Bloody Kingdom.