Samantha Ruth Prabhu opens up about her strained relationship with father Joseph Prabhu: 'He actually told me, you’re not that smart...'

Samantha Ruth Prabhu, who shared the heartbreaking news of losing his father on Friday, recently spoke about their strained relationship, which impacted her self-worth.

“All my life growing up, I had to fight for validation. My father was kind of like… I think most Indian parents are like that. They think they’re protecting you," Samantha told Galatta India as she revealed how her father downplayed her abilities.

“He actually told me, ‘You’re not that smart. This is just the standard of Indian education. That’s why even you can get a first rank.’ When you say that to a child, I really believed for the longest time that I’m not smart and not good enough," she added.

Samantha revealed that this mindset followed her in adulthood and career and said, “When Ye Maaya Chesave became a blockbuster and people showered me with praise, I didn’t know how to accept it. I wasn’t used to it. Success does two things: either you think you’re invincible, or you feel undeserving of the love and praise you get. For me, it was the latter."

“I was scared people would wake up and realise I’m not all that talented or cool. I kept pushing myself to be better, to look better, to feel worthy of the adulation," the Citadel: Honey Bunny actress confessed.

The actress concluded by revealing that it took over a decade to accept new pattern and unlearn the old ones. “It took me 10-12 years or more to realise I’m not perfect and never will be. But imperfect is pretty cool too," said Samantha.

Born to Joseph Prabhu and Ninette Prabhu in Chennai, Samantha has two older brothers - Jonathan and David. Joseph has always preferred to stay away from the limelight despite her daughter’s stardom.