Actor Samantha Akkineni is riding the high of her recent release The Family Man 2 on Amazon Prime on 4 June. After the show’s trailer dropped, Samantha, and the show as a whole, were criticised for portraying the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) in a negative light. However, audiences and critics have praised the show, and especially her character Raji, who is the new antagonist in the series.
Samantha took to Instagram to share a heartfelt post about what the character meant to her. “Reading all the reviews and comments fills my heart with so much joy .. RAJI will always be special,” she wrote.
She talked about the creative process that went behind Raji’s character, “When @rajanddk approached me to do the character, I was aware that portraying Raji's character required sensitivity and balance. The creative team shared documentaries of the Tamil struggle that included stories of women in the Eelam war. When I watched those documentaries, I was aghast and shocked by the troubles and unspeakable grief that the Tamils of Eelam went through over an extended period of time.”
She added, “I noticed that the aforementioned documentaries had only a few thousand views and that is when it dawned on me how the world just looked away when tens of thousands people of Eelam lost their lives. And, lakhs more lost their livelihood and their homes. *Countless many* continue to live in far away lands with the wounds of the civil strife still fresh in their hearts and minds.”
Raji's story, though fictional, to me, is a tribute to those that died because of an unequal war, and those who continue to live in the painful memory of the war. I was particular about Raji's portrayal being balanced, nuanced, and sensitive.Samantha Akkineni, Instagram post
“I want Raji's story to be a stark, much-needed reminder for us, more than ever before, to come together as humans to fight hate, oppression, and greed. If we fail to do so, countless more will be denied their identity, liberty, and their right to self-determination,” the caption concluded.
Samantha’s role has been praised by many as the highlight of the show’s second series. The Family Man 2 stars Manoj Bajpayee in the lead in a reprisal of his role as Srikant Tiwari. The series is produced and directed by duo Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK. It also stars Sharad Kelkar, Priyamani, Dalip Tahil, Darshan Kumaar, Shahab Ali, and Sharib Hashmi.
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