She may be one of the biggest superstars in Telugu cinema today, but Samantha Akkineni continues to nurture the desire to learn something new every time she steps on a film set. The actress has come a long way from being a shy girl-next-door in Ye Maaya Chesaave. Samantha says that relentless hard work is the secret behind her longevity as an actress.

“There’s no substitute for hard work. I know it might sound like a cliché, but I strongly believe in this. The moment you get comfortable in a position, you’re going to lose it for sure. So I’ve always approached every day as my first day at work. I go with the same energy and the desire to learn something new. I think that’s what kept me going for all of these years. It helped me get better as an actress and entertain audiences,” she says.

Having started out doing commercial films like most of her contemporaries, Samantha has found her own space in the last few years, where she’s been doing films that have strong, author-backed roles. The Jaanu star tells us that she’s used her stardom to make a conscious effort to bring in more women in her films, not just as actors, but also as technicians.

“In my film Oh Baby! (2019), my executive producer, marketing head, director and assistant director were all women. We (women) just need a chance to prove our worth and I think actresses should make a conscious effort to ensure there are more women on sets. Women have always been pitted against each other, but we’re much stronger when we come together and it’s high time that happens. I feel this new decade will be all about women,” she says, with optimism.

Having spent 11 years in the industry, Samantha says if she’s going to give her nod to a new project, she will need to be fully convinced that it’s the right script for her. “If there isn’t a challenge, I’m not interested anymore. It’s been 11 years now. People pay a lot of money to come to the theatre and for the theatrical experience. If I’m not going to give them something that was better than my last, I shouldn’t be working at all,” she says, bluntly.

In an interview last year, Samantha had hinted that she may retire from the industry after a year or two. The actress, however, clarifies that she’s not ready to hang up her boots just yet. “I will always be connected to the film industry in some way or the other. I spent 11 years of my life doing this and it’s something that I happen to be good at, so I’ll always be a part of making films,” she says, signing off.