6 movies that show Samantha Akkineni’s evolution into a powerhouse performer

By Subha J Rao4 March 2020

What keep Samantha Akkineni ticking? We talk to some well-known names in the South Indian film industries to find out, and list out the Telegu and Tamil movies you need to watch to track her growth as an actor

There’s a scene in Nandini Reddy’s 2019 blockbuster, Oh! Baby, where Samantha Akkineni (who plays 70-year-old Baby in the body of 24-year-old Swathi) speaks to her best friend Chanti about how she can eat anything and not suffer ‘gas’ and also sleep well at night. There’s a certain lightness in Akkineni’s performance, and she convincingly sells the idea of being an septuagenarian in a twenty-something body through her body language, making audiences look beyond her youthful frame and connect with the character. For me, that scene marked Akkineni’s transformation into the performer she’s become in her 10 years in the film industry. Yes, there’s Super Deluxe (2019), yes, there’s Mahanati (2018), and Rangasthalam (2018) too, but these were bold choices as a performer; they didn’t require the consistent performance that Oh! Baby demanded—especially because she had to fill in the shoes of Lakshmi, a veteran known for her acting chops.

From the smash success of her 2010 debut—Gautham Vasudev Menon’s Ye Maaya Chesave—where she played the iconic character of Jessie (Trisha reprised the role in the film’s Tamil version, Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa, which was shot simultaneously), to Irumbu Thirai (2018), Akkineni has not only cemented her place as a star in the Telugu industry, but has also created a space for herself in Tamil cinema, mixing it up with some big ticket movies and those that call for pure acting skills.

Nandini Reddy, who directed her six years apart in Jabardasth (2013) and Oh! Baby, says that over the years, Akkineni has not taken anything for granted. “She was quite the star when I did Oh! Baby, but she had the eagerness and dedication of a newcomer. She would want to nail every single shot, and it is rare to see someone with that amount of focus. In the 50 days we shot, I did not see her relax for even a wee bit. She’s hungrier as an actor, and seeks challenges.”

Akkineni’s latest release, Jaanu (2020), was directed by Prem Kumar, who had handled the Tamil original ’96 (2018) as well. “I had not seen much of her movies before she was signed on, and I found her abundantly talented as a star and actor. She’s a warrior with a strong fighting instinct, a great listener and gives you more than what you expect. She managed to make Jaanu her own, though it came with the baggage of being a character deeply loved across the border,” he told us about her performance.

Over the years, the actor (who comes from Pallavaram in Chennai) has picked up enough Telugu to speak fluently (like she did in Mahanati), but playback singer Chinmayi has been her voice for a while now, lending additional heft to her onscreen performance. “I deeply admire her for how she’s breaking the stereotype of the ‘married South heroine’. She’s managed to churn out hits, despite the fact that there is one super tiny, but loud section that keeps waiting for a film of hers to flop. And, there’s the set that wonders when she’s going to ‘retire’ and what her ‘last film’ is going to be—something I find really sad, because she gives cinema her all. It took courage to do a Super Deluxe, knowing what kind of comments would come her way,” Chinmayi discloses.

Ahead, we list some of Samantha Akkineni’s best Telugu and Tamil movies

Ye Maaya Chesave (2010)

Though Akkineni has gone on record to say that she was so intent on getting her lines right in a language that was new to her, that she never focussed on the ‘acting’, this is one film she can be proud to have in her filmography. Gautham Menon extracted from her a performance so raw, so utterly real, that everyone’s heart beat for Jessie and Karthik. As a young woman caught between being a dutiful daughter and staying true to her love, Akkineni’s Jessie was exceptional.

Streaming on Prime Video

Eega (2012)

As Bindu, a miniature artist in love with a man reincarnated as a fly, Akkineni sold us a love story where her partner was someone who could fly at will, and had a body and spirit of steel. Her character in the film goes through various emotions—the first flush of love, crushing grief, a girl picking up the pieces of her life, recognising her lost love, realising her benefactor is the one who murdered her love, and finally as someone happy with her lot in life—and Akkineni managed to hold her own in front of performers like Sudeep and Nani, who can own every scene.

Streaming on Prime Video

Neethaane En Ponvasantham (2012)

Can there be a better film showcasing a school crush that turns into a full-fledged love story between Varun (Jiiva) and Nithya (Akkineni)? Somehow, Gautham Menon has been able to tap into that certain child-like earnestness that Akkineni brings to the table, twice in a row; rather thrice, if you consider the Telugu version of the same film, Yeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu, where she was paired opposite Nani. As a girl who comes from a different social background than her lover, and as someone unaware of her privilege, Nithya struck a chord.

U Turn (2018)

When Akkineni was roped in to reprise the role Shraddha Srinath so effectively played in the 2016 Kannada film, U Turn—of journalist Rachana, who was not cutesy and meant business—some people did wonder if she would be able to pull it off. She managed to do exactly across languages, with the film doing well in both Telugu and Tamil. This feature also marked a departure in the way people looked at Akkineni. She was seen as someone who could headline a film, as someone around whom a project could revolve.

Streaming on Prime Video

Super Deluxe (2019)

As Vembu, a young married girl who sleeps with her former lover, only to find him dying on her, Akkineni was a scream in this dark thriller, which came with many laugh-out-loud moments. When confronted by her husband, Mugil (Fahadh Faasil), she confesses and the two decide to get rid of the body, even as they wonder if they have a future. But, during the journey, where they meet a corrupt cop Berlin, the couple is drawn closer. Compared to the other three threads in the story, Vembu’s was the boldest. How often has a filmmaker shown a woman being unapologetic about her sex life? And how many actors have willingly submitted themselves to a director’s vision, well knowing the trolls will be out in strength?

Streaming on Netflix

Jaanu (2020)

When Akkineni watched ’96 and praised Trisha’s performance, a fan asked her if she would like to be a part of the remake, to which she said the film should not be remade. It so happened that Akkineni and Sharwanand headlined the remake of a film that attained near-iconic status in Tamil Nadu. The reviews for the Telugu version were overwhelmingly positive, despite the fact that both actors had to match the near-flawless performances seen in the original. Jaanu is also probably one of the few films that allow Akkineni to indulge in an internalised performance that celebrates silences.