Armed for action

A still from the film

Samantha had her first brush with action last year, thanks to her role in The Family Man 2 (2021). A year on, the actor is already adept at boxing, kick-boxing, and has picked up the basics of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts (MMA). She credits the turnaround to her upcoming release Yashoda, and partly to her newfound love for action. "I never imagined myself doing action. My love for the genre has been a revelation to me," she says.

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The action-thriller features Samantha as a surrogate mother up against the malpractices in the medical world. Before Hari-Harish's directorial venture went on floors last year, the actor trained extensively with stunt choreographer Yannick Ben. Samantha says, "Although [action set-pieces] can be gruesome, they offer an adrenaline rush. There's a sense of accomplishment [when you] perform the stunts." Ben, who previously worked with her in The Family Man 2, has often said that her biggest strength is her dedication. "Whenever you show her [any] choreography, she is willing to give her best," Ben said in a behind-the-scenes clip that traced the actor's training. Shot in Tamil and Telugu, Yashoda also stars Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Unni Mukundan, Rao Ramesh and Murli Sharma.