Actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu and filmmaker Raj Nidimoru are riding high on the success of their recent release, Maa Inti Bangaaram. The film, directed by Nandini Reddy, has grossed ₹50 crore worldwide and has become Samantha’s highest-grossing solo hit. The couple recently celebrated the film’s success and her close friend Rahul Ravindran’s birthday.
Samantha can’t stop smiling as Raj plays with Chinmayi’s twins
Rahul turned 45 on June 23, and he celebrated the special day with his family and loved ones. “And that’s how we celebrated Sammy Chitthi’s blockbuster and Appa’s birthday (heart emojis) #MaaIntiBangaram,” he wrote, posting pictures from his birthday on Instagram. The pictures show Chinmayi and Rahul’s twins, Driptah and Sharvas, playing.
Some pictures show Samantha joining the twins in their fun. Others show her smiling broadly as Raj keeps the twins occupied at the table. While Chinmayi isn’t seen in the pictures, Nandini and Samantha’s Tralala Moving Pictures producer Himank Duvvuru can be seen joining the revelry. Samantha also posted a group picture they clicked at the celebrations, writing, “Happy happy birthday to our favourite. And judging by the number of people who adore you, everyone's favourite too. @rahulr_23.”
Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Rahul Ravindran’s friendship
Samantha and Rahul have been close friends for more than 15 years now. Their friendship began when they shot for Moscowin Kaveri in 2007. After acting in Jigra in 2024, Rahul revealed to HT that he was with his friend when he was asked to act in the film. “Samantha was with me when I got the call that I was finalised for Jigra. I asked her if I should do it, and she said, are you mad, of course you should. Sam has always been a huge admirer of Alia (Bhatt),” he said. Samantha has also been close to Chinmayi through the years.
Recent work
Rahul directed the Rashmika Mandanna and Dheekshith Shetty-starrer The Girlfriend in 2025. He also played an extended role in the film, apart from Sujeeth’s Pawan Kalyan-starrer They Call Him OG. Most recently, he played a cameo in Singeetham Srinivasa Rao’s Sing Geetham. Samantha last starred in Shaakunthalam and Yashoda in 2023 and Citadel: Honey Bunny in 2024. Maa Inti Bangaaram was released in theatres on June 19 to positive reviews. Nandini recently spoke to Cinema Express about Samantha and said, “Her pregnancy comes at a beautiful time, as our film, Maa Inti Bangaram, has become a success.”