After lockdown restrictions were eased across the country, Samantha Akkineni is back on the shooting floor. The actress, who is busy completing her Telugu and Tamil projects, has also made her digital debut recently and won a lot of praise for it. In a candid chat with BT, Samantha, who been a part of the film industry for over a decade now, speaks about how years of experience have shaped her film choices, her take on women-centric movies, and more. Excerpts:

Yes, absolutely. It comes with great responsibility for the reason that I have been in the industry for so long. Young people can get influenced pretty easily. The responsibility of it all really has pushed me to become the person that I am today. I don’t like shirking off responsibilities; I like taking them on, as hard as they may be at times. I have never been the person to take the easy route. I get hurt and sad, but I still end up taking the hard route.

I have been in the industry long enough and I know these phases of love and hate. It does not surprise me anymore. But I wouldn’t say that it is not hard. I would not take bullying on social media lightly. It is definitely not easy. It could have a lot of repercussions on one’s mental health. So, I am not going to make it seem like it is a small issue. I can handle it, as I have experienced it over the years. Some others might not be able to, and they should definitely be able to seek help from friends and family.

I have always given an appropriate answer to trolls, whether it is about something I wear or the work that I am doing. There has always been an answer to the questions that have been fired at me. But I have never been one to get down dirty in the mud.

Well, I have always been very, very hardworking, but I have also been very insecure. I have had a lot of self-doubts. But over the years, that has changed. I have learnt to deal with my insecurities, learnt to take bigger risks.

Today, I’m confident; face my fears, deal with my insecurities head-on, and take bigger risks. These are the three biggest changes that I notice in me now.

Before, when I used to see scripts, I would ask myself if the film had the potential to become a big hit or not. If the answer was yes, I’d accept the offer. It was more like I was collecting hits in my kitty. But of late, I look for scripts that challenge me. The role has to excite me. It’s not about hits anymore; it’s about pushing boundaries.

I believe women in lead roles are killing it, and this phenomenon is noticeable worldwide, across languages and industries. But I do wish that the roles that we are given are not just of underdogs; I want them to be of superheroes and heroines and the powerful. I’ve noticed that in women-centric films, the heroine is always portrayed as a weak girl who rises to the occasion. I wish that would change and we get portrayed from a position of strength. I believe that women should be headlining more films.

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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.