In Mumbai, actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu reflected on the past instances of disrespect faced by her and her colleagues in the southern film industry regarding their choice of clothing. In an interview, the 35-year-old actress acknowledged the significant progress made by regional films, particularly in Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada, which have surpassed Hindi cinema in terms of box-office success in recent years.
Samantha shared insights into the challenges faced earlier, stating, “It’s absolutely wonderful. There were times when we, as South actors, couldn’t acquire garments from designers because they would say, ‘Who are you? South actor? What south?'” The actress, who is part of the upcoming film ‘Shaakuntalam,’ featuring over 3,000 costumes designed by Neeta Lulla for actors, supporting cast, and junior artistes, expressed satisfaction with the transformation. She remarked, “We’ve come a long way from there, haven’t we? This inclusivity is quite amazing, and we’re now finally where we should be.”
Highlighting the recent successes of regional films, including ‘RRR,’ the ‘KGF’ franchise, ‘Pushpa: The Rise,’ and ‘Kantara,’ Samantha emphasized how these movies have given tough competition to Hindi cinema at the box office over the past two years.