Garh: Honey Bunny actor Samantha recently opened up about her strained relationship with her father and how it led to her long struggle for recognition.

during an interview with Galata IndiaSamantha revealed how her battle with insecurities stemmed from her childhood and her father’s harsh words. She highlighted how his comments affected her self-confidence and pushed her into insecurities.

In the interview, Samantha said, “Growing up I had to fight for recognition my whole life. My father was like this; I think most Indian parents are like that and they think they’re protecting you, and they’ll say, ‘You’re really not that smart.’

He further added, “Actually my father told me that ‘You are not really that smart, this is just the standard of Indian education, and that is why you can even get first rank.’ Indian parents are welcome.”

Samantha shared how she internalized her father’s comments and belief that she wasn’t smart or good enough. He gave examples of how these feelings affected him early in his career. Talking about her debut film Ye Maaya Chesave, she said that she struggled to accept the praise she received after the success of the film.

“I’m used to fighting for validation. Suddenly, all these compliments started showering on me and I didn’t know how to accept it,” she said.

He discussed how success can make one feel invincible or insecure and undeserving of the praise received. She commented, “I was so scared that people would wake up and realize I wasn’t that talented, and I struggled with that insecurity.”

Samantha explained how she felt pressure to perform and look better to ensure the recognition did not fall short. He added, “It sent me into a complete downward spiral, and it took me a long time to forget everything from my childhood and believe in my self-worth.”

Speaking about overcoming her insecurities, Samantha said, “It took me 10-12 years or more to realize that I am not perfect and will never be perfect. But it’s also great to be imperfect.” His response received applause from the anchor and the audience.

Samantha’s recent show, Citadel: Honey Bunny, co-starring Varun Dhawan and directed by Raj and DK, is receiving praise worldwide. She is currently working on Rakt Universe – The Bloody Kingdom, a Netflix action-fantasy series created by Raj and DK, which also stars Ali Fazal, Aditya Roy Kapur and Wamiqa Gabbi along with Samantha.