Telugu actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu revealed that she was initially hesitant to accept the lead role in the upcoming film “Shaakuntalam”.The film is based on the acclaimed Sanskrit play Abhijnana Shakuntalam by Kalidasa and is all ready to hit the theatres on April 14.Samantha plays the mythological character Shakuntala, who is often described as the “symbol of perfection”.
The 35-year-old actress, who had previously appeared in the gritty role of a secret agent in the popular web series “The Family Man”, said that she had initially turned down the offer to play Shakuntala as she lacked the confidence to portray the character.
Samantha revealed that she has always been a fan of Disney films and wasn’t sure if she could play the role of a princess who was considered perfect.
However, the producer of the movie, Dil Raju, convinced Samantha to take up the role by showing confidence in her abilities.
Samantha, who spoke at the trailer launch press conference of “Shaakuntalam”, said that she decided to take up the role as a challenge and fulfill her childhood dream of playing the role of a princess.
Dev Mohan, who played the role of King Dushyant in the movie, said that he was happy to have his first pan-India release in “Shaakuntalam”.
Samantha received praise for her assistance in helping the individual with the Telugu language, a challenging task for him due to it not being his native tongue.
Gunasekhar, the director of the film, conveyed his appreciation towards renowned filmmaker V Shantaram for serving as his inspiration in creating the movie.
He said that V Shantaram had made two films on the same subject, “Shakuntala” in 1943 and “Stree” in the 1960s, and was a great inspiration for technicians like him.
Samantha also talked about the diverse work opportunities she has received, including the Indian chapter of the Prime Video series “Citadel”.She said that she feels privileged to be doing such roles and that it is tough but fulfilling for a woman to do action and not have a hero saving her all the time.
