On Samantha's 38th birthday on April 28, Subhash K Jha looks at her best movies.
Eega, 2012
Long before Baahubali made history, Samantha had starred in SS Rajamouli's Eega, a love triangle with a twist. It is the story of a man, woman and... a fly! It broke box office records in Tamil, and we saw the Hindi version Makkhi too. The adventure was about a fly's vendetta against a man who would go to any lengths to win over a girl who rebuffs his gestures.
Super Deluxe, 2019
Vijay Sethupathi was the showstopper in Thiagarajan Kumararaja's Tamil game-changer Super Deluxe, where he played a transgender coming out, to the confusion of his son. Samantha was just as brilliant.
Yashoda, 2022
Yashoda tells the story of a fertility hospital devoted to surrogate motherhood, where something is seriously amiss. Samantha plays a pregnant surrogate, who tries to solve the mystery.
Majili, 2019
Her best performance to date, Majili reflects Samantha's strengths as an actor and human being. The Telugu film about losing love and finding faith is a satisfying ode to the human heart. Samantha's Sravani makes her reel life husband (Naga Chaitanya) fall in love with her despite a broken heart and a rough start.
Shakuntalam, 2023
Samantha captures the soul of Shakuntala in Gunasekhar's mythological Shakuntalam.
The Family Man 2, 2021
Samantha’s digital debut was a smash hit. During this season of the hit franchise, the action moves to Chennai where Raji (Samantha) and her rebel friends are planning a massive attack, and it's up to Srikant and his team to stop them in time.
Citadel: Honey Bunny, 2024
Samantha plays a lioness protecting her little daughter from dangerous elements on both sides of the law. Citadel: Honey Bunny was her second project with Directors Raj & DK.