New Delhi: Samantha Ruth Prabhu, star of Shaakuntalam, has said that the new song ‘Oo Antava’ from Allu Arjun’s Pushpa was given to her “in the thick of the divorce with Naga Chaitanya, her ex-husband. The actress stated that her friends, family, and well-wishers advised her to decline the offer because she should not do “an item song immediately following her divorce. Samantha and Chaitanya filed for divorce in October 2021.

Samantha stated in an interview with Miss Malini that she did not wish to remain hidden during her separation process. “When I was offered ‘Oo Antava,’ it was in the middle of the separation,” she explained (from Chaitanya). After the news was made, every well-wisher and family member said, “You will sit at home, you will not do an item song simply because you have declared your split.” Even my friends, who were usually encouraging me to push myself, cautioned me, “Do not do an item song.” But I was like, ‘OK, I’m going to do it.'”

“I just thought, ‘Why should I hide?'” she continued. “Nothing went wrong with me. I wasn’t going to wait for all of the trolling, abuse, and hatred to fade away and slowly slip back in like a criminal. That was not going to happen. I gave my marriage my all, but it did not work out. But I wasn’t going to beat myself up or feel bad over something I hadn’t done.”

Samantha Ruth Prabhu wowed audiences with her sensual dance performance Oo Antava in Allu Arjun’s Pushpa: The Rise. Even before the film’s debut, the song became a hit. Samantha’s dazzling maneuvers in the song were praised by both critics and audiences.

Samantha was also rumored to have a prominent role in Pushpa: The Rule, which also starred Rashmika Mandanna. According to reports, Pushpa’s lead actor Allu Arjun personally persuaded Samantha to star in Oo Antava. She is said to have charged Rs 5 crore for the three-minute song.