The well-known Indian actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu recently talked about her struggle with the autoimmune condition “myositis.” The startling disclosure was made during the India Today Conclave 2024, when Samantha talked about her path of vulnerability and resiliency.
Samantha was identified in 2022 as having myositis, a rare autoimmune condition affecting the muscles. She said, “I was forced to go public about my disorder. At that time, I had my female-centric film due for release. I was very sick back then. It was hard, and I wasn’t ready. There were all sorts of speculation going around and misinformation being spread. The producers needed me to promote it, otherwise, it (the film) would just die.”
Samantha came forward to spread awareness of myositis despite her sickness. She even rose to the position of Myositis India brand ambassador.
During the interview, Samantha candidly shared her inner struggle. “So, I agreed to do one interview. Obviously, I didn’t look the same. I had high doses of medication to keep me stable. I was forced to. Given a choice, I wouldn’t have come out and announced it. I was called sympathy queen by the public. My journey as an actor, as a human being, I have evolved so much. Early on in my career, I was anxious and go up (online) looking for nasty articles and what was being written about me.”
However, Samantha was changed by hardship. She changed and discovered vulnerability to be strong. “The more people accused me of things, I started to almost question every question every thought of mine. They have forced me to become the person that I can be proud of. When people are going through a lot of pain, they need a portal to project it. And social media is that portal, I guess. I do really think that.”
Working-wise, Samantha, who debuted in Hindi in 2021 with “The Family Man 2,” will next be featured in an Indian TV series spin-off of “Citadel,” an American TV series. Saqib Saleem, Varun Dhawan, Sikandar Kher, and Kay Kay Menon are also featured. Her most recent appearance was in the Vijay Deverakonda film Kushi.
