Samantha Ruth Prabhu had significant hardship following her myositis diagnosis in 2022. Following her illness, the actress worked on ‘Citadel: Honey Bunny’ and ‘Kushi’. In a recent interview, the team discussed Samantha’s severe illness.
During an interview with Galatta India, Samantha recalled one such time and jokingly said, “I had a concussion and I forgot the names after that.I completely blanked out. That was quite something. Now that I think of it, nobody took me to the hospital. Nobody asked me.”
Writer Sita Menon quickly added, “We were on a call with a doctor.” To which, Samantha asked, “Which doctor?” Sita replied, “You don’t remember because you were concussed.”
Samantha humorously recalled, “I remember, during my concussion, hearing that we have the set only for less than a day, we need to finish the shoot. So in my concussion, I was like, ‘I am coming people, I am coming.’ Then I remember the stunt guy was in front of me, and then I was like, ‘What am I doing?’ and they were like, ‘Okay, cut, not happening.’”
Samantha Ruth Prabhu recalled the moment she felt too ill to continue with the project, while the team laughed together as they reminisced about the concussion period. She shared, “I actually begged them to move on because I really didn’t think that I could do it. I was very sure that I couldn’t do it. I was even sharing options with them. I was like, ‘Look at this heroine, she is so amazing.’ I sent like four options and said, ‘She will kill it, please let me be, I can’t do it’. I was really not well.”
But the actress expressed gratitude that the team chose to continue working with her. She said, “Now that I think of it and now that I am watching this, I am just so glad they didn’t replace me. I am so glad I found the strength to think ‘I can do this.” Raj further acknowledged and shared that we must give credit to Varun and the entire team for this achievement. We had meticulously crafted a character, fully aware of her skill set from ‘Family Man 2’. We recognized that it was the right balance for Samantha to take on, but she was unwell and required additional time.
To this, Varun quickly added, “I will tell you this, because I don’t keep secrets. A lot of people didn’t want her to do the role.” Raj said, “Of course, it was very practical. Practically speaking, of course, we had to cast another person.”
Varun recalled the discussion, noting that it had nearly resulted in a breakdown. They had decided to proceed with production and request to move forward, though it was unclear how long that would take. He observed that Samantha was deeply aligned with everyone’s vision, particularly the directors who had collaborated with her, as well as Sita, for whom she had previously written. Consequently, he found it difficult to consider alternative options, as everyone seemed to fall short in comparison to her.
Samantha Ruth Prabhu talked about what kept her going after adversity, saying it inspired her to perform well. She shared, “The funny thing about strength is that you realise it when you hit rock bottom and when you have nothing to lose. People who taste a lot of struggles are actually people who are very lucky because they get to… at least I believe I have learnt more from my bad times than my success. I am who I am today because of what I have learnt from the bad times.”
Samantha also expressed her gratitude to all who supported her during her difficult period. She said that she appreciates and recognizes it. The reason she is sitting here today is that this group of people did not give up on her. It is their love and faith in her that enabled her to overcome her challenges. She acknowledges that without their support, her recovery would have taken much longer, and she might have succumbed to her circumstances. She understands the importance of having something to fight for in order to rise again. The actress concluded by saying that she is very aware of and grateful for the support and love he has received, and he can recognize it when he sees it.
Directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK, ‘Citadel: Honey Bunny’ will premiere from November 7. The India chapter of ‘Citadel’ stars Varun Dhawan and Samantha Ruth Prabhu.
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