Samantha Akkineni aka Raji is riding the high of her recent release The Family Man 2 on Amazon Prime on 4 June. After the show’s teaser and then the trailer dropped, Samantha, role was criticised for portraying the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) in a negative light. But then, audiences and critics have praised the show after watching it, 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.
Raj, DK The Family Man 2 is a pure binge-watch
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.
Raji Samantha Akkineni Applauded for her role in The Family Man 2
The highly anticipated Manoj Bajpayee starrer The Family Man 2 released on Amazon Prime Video today, 4 June. Directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK, the film features Samantha Akkineni as the show’s new antagonist.
While many fans of the show were excited for its release, especially since the first season was such a massive hit, many people on social media criticised the series trailer for portraying Tamilians in a bad light. Since the show’s release, netizens have been all praises for Manoj and Samantha’s performance in the series.
Many applauded Samantha for her ‘raw and intense’ avatar as the antagonist Raji, while some called the role the best of her career.
After the show’s trailer dropped, many users on social media dubbed the show as offensive to Tamilians and especially the Tamil Eelam. Some fans criticised those accusing the show and attached stills from the show featuring Samantha.
Political leaders including MDMK leader Vaiko and Naam Tamilar Katchi leader Seeman urged the Centre to ban the release of The Family Man 2 alleging the negative portrayal of the Tamil people and accusing the show for portraying the LTTE as terrorists.
Addressing the accusations, Raj & DK issued a statement that read, “Some assumptions and impressions have been made based on just a couple of shots in the trailer. We are very cognizant of the sentiments of the Tamil people and Tamil culture and have nothing but the utmost love and respect towards our Tamil people.”