Samantha Ruth Prabhu did Pushpa song Oo Antava to challenge her own insecurities. The surprising reason behind her decision

Samantha Ruth Prabhu and filmmaker Raj Nidimoru are currently expecting their first child together. The actress recently confirmed that she would take a maternity break during the success meet of her film Maa Inti Bangaaram. Amid this, an old interview in which Samantha discussed her decision to perform in Oo Antava from Allu Arjun's Pushpa: The Rise has resurfaced online. The actress once revealed why she accepted the song despite advice from people close to her not to do it.

Why Samantha Ruth Prabhu agreed to do 'Oo Antava'

Oo Antava, featuring Samantha and Allu Arjun, became one of the most talked-about songs from Pushpa: The Rise. However, the actress was going through a difficult phase in her personal life when she received the offer.




In a 2023 interview with Miss Malini, Samantha revealed that she was in the middle of her separation from actor Naga Chaitanya when the opportunity came her way. The announcement of their separation had been made in 2021, and several people close to her felt that taking up a dance number at that time was not the right decision.

According to Samantha, her friends, family members and well-wishers advised her to stay home and turn down the offer. They were concerned about her doing an item song so soon after the separation became public.

However, Samantha decided to go ahead with it. In an interview with India Today, she explained that the decision was not simply about performing to a popular track.

She wanted to explore a different side of herself as an actor and take on something she had not felt comfortable doing before.

Samantha said, "The decision to do it came from a place of needing to explore a new facet of being an actor... The first shot, I was shaking from fear because sexy is not my thing. I’ve always made sure that I put myself in the most uncomfortable circumstances... kind of slaying these demons I have."

The decision also meant going against the advice of people who were concerned about how the song might be perceived, given the timing of her separation. Samantha chose to approach it as a professional challenge and an opportunity to discover a new aspect of her performance.

Her appearance in Oo Antava eventually became one of the memorable elements of Pushpa: The Rise, which stars Allu Arjun in the lead role.

Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s latest film and upcoming projects

On the work front, Samantha was last seen in Maa Inti Bangaaram, a female-led action drama directed by Nandini Reddy and created by Raj Nidimoru. The film also features Gulshan Devaiah, Sreemukhi, Gautami and Manjusha Mukkavilli in key roles.

During the film's success celebration, Samantha confirmed that she would take a maternity break. The actress is also hosting the Tamil culinary reality show Celebrity MasterChef Tamil and is expected to be associated with the action-fantasy series Rakt Brahmand: The Bloody Kingdom.