Actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu recently revisited her experience of shooting the massively popular item number Oo Antava from the 2021 blockbuster Pushpa: The Rise, revealing that she was riddled with nerves during the shoot, especially since it marked a departure from her typical on-screen image.
In an interview with Galatta Plus, the 38-year-old actress admitted that she had never imagined herself doing a sultry dance number in front of a massive crowd.
"Who thinks of me for a special song, and that too, one in which I had to look really hot? I was always playing the cute, bubbly, girl-next-door," she shared, adding that it wasn’t just about the choreography but it was about embodying a bold, confident persona.
"It wasn’t about the dance, it was about the attitude - the fierce, confident woman who is always comfortable in her sexuality - all of these, which I am not."
Despite doubts from people around her, Samantha said she saw the song as an opportunity to challenge herself and break stereotypes. "As much as people love to think that I do things to make statements for other people, I do it to challenge myself. Throughout my life, I have never considered myself a good-looking, hot woman. I think Oo Antava was an opportunity for me to see if I could fake it and pull it off."
Recalling the first day on set, she confessed during the interview, "I was shaking in front of 500 junior artists before the first shot. I was so nervous."
Soon after the song released, fans were surprised to see Samantha in a new avatar. They praised her transformation and confidence in the chart-topping number, which went on to become one of the major highlights of the film.
On the work front, Samantha is busy with the promotions of her first production venture Subham. The film, directed by Praveen Kandregula, stars Harshith Reddy, Gavireddy Srinivas, Charan Peri, Shriya Kontham, Shravani Lakshmi, Shalini Kondepudi, and Vamshidhar Goud.
