Samantha Ruth Prabhu has spoken about the reason behind her drastic weight loss, revealing that her battle with myositis and the dietary restrictions that came with it significantly impacted her health and eating habits.
While promoting her upcoming film Maa Inti Bangaram, Samantha addressed the constant questions she receives about her appearance and weight. The actress explained that many people are unaware of the challenges faced by those living with autoimmune conditions.
"Now, I'm in a good place where I can eat comfortably. Not excessively, but eat. I'm always asked, why did you lose so much weight? People never really know what's going on with someone. It's not like I don't want to eat, I can't eat," Samantha said during an interaction with Galatta Plus.
'Food became extremely restricted and bland'The actress revealed that during the two years she stepped away from films to focus on her health, food became a major trigger for her condition. Any food that upset her gut could aggravate the autoimmune disorder, forcing her to follow a highly restrictive diet.
"Those two years that I was on a break, food was a trigger. If I eat anything that upsets my gut, I would trigger the autoimmune condition. And so, my food became extremely restricted and extremely bland. I would eat the same food for breakfast, lunch and dinner for two years," she shared.
The emotional story behind her cat's nameSamantha also shared how her health journey inspired the name of her pet cat, Gelato. She revealed that after years of dietary restrictions, gelato was one of the first foods she was allowed to reintroduce into her meals.
"The first thing that I was allowed to add was gelato, without sugar and dairy. So, I would really look forward to that gelato. So, when I decided to get a cat, I named her Gelato," she said.
A journey of resilienceSamantha disclosed her myositis diagnosis in 2022 while promoting Yashoda. Since then, she has been open about her treatment and recovery, often using her platform to raise awareness about the condition.
The actress will next be seen in Maa Inti Bangaram, directed by Nandini Reddy, which is set to release in theatres on June 19.