SAMANTHA RUTH PRABHU ON ADVOCATING MENTAL HEALTH: MY FAN BASE IS MORE INTERESTED IN ENTERTAINMENT AND FASHION
Ever since actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu shared her struggle with autoimmune disease Myositis in 2022, she has been open about her spiritual and holistic healing. From encouraging her fans to focus on their physical health to also starting a podcast on mental well-being, the actor admits it’s not an easy task to get through to her fans and talk about something other than entertainment.
“I have a fan base that is probably more interested in entertainment, fashion, make-up. So, to make that transition into health, and advocating mental health is not really an easy one. I have to change perceptions and that takes times but it’s okay,” shares the actor, as she reflects on the challenges she faces as an actor and a mental health advocate on her podcast Take 20.
Nevertheless, Samantha, who turns 37 on April 28, is committed to the cause and practising a lot of patience because she strongly believes this is the right cause. “This is the cause that is closest to my heart, and I’m willing to put in that time and effort. If I can bring about some change even with a handful of people, I’ll be very happy because somewhere I believe this is my calling, this is what I’m meant to be doing. I’ve always been someone who follows my heart in making my decisions and my heart really does tell me that this is the right path,” says the actor, known for films such as Kushi, Pushpa and web show The Family Man season 2.
At this point, Samantha, who will next be seen in Citadel - Honey Bunny, also emphasises on the connection between physical and mental health, and notes, “You can’t be healthy physically if you are not looking after your mental health and the two go hand-in-hand. That’s why I strongly advocate for just following few simple practices that help with good mental health and in turn good physical health.”
As her treatment of Myositis is underway, Samantha has been balancing her shoot schedules and is recuperating at the same time. Amid all this, social media has not been easy for her, with trolls constantly targeting her every now and then. However, she has found her coping mechanism, and learnt to handle the situation.
She explains with a smile, “So much of this process is about having a selective filter of sorts. I think I have reached a place where I can almost instinctively filter out the crap from the good. So it’s not as hard as it used to be!”
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2024-04-26T16:04:26Z dg43tfdfdgfd