What! Sameera Reddy reveals how her old industry friends ignored her when she asked for shout-outs on social media

MUMBAI: After a long hiatus, actor Sameera Reddy made a remarkable comeback recently. However, this time it wasn’t in the world of cinema but rather on social media, where she has become a cherished personality with millions of followers. 

Also read - WOW! Sameera Reddy’s pictures and videos from her Paris vacation will make you feel wanderlust

Her new public persona wasn’t rooted in the traditional standards of glamour that she once excelled at during her acting career. Instead, Sameera captured hearts by embracing her authentic self and advocating for others seeking self-acceptance.

Meanwhile, Messy Mama, as she likes to call herself, during a recent interview, candidly shared the challenges she encountered while striving to make a comeback and reconnect with her fans.

“When I decided to come back and speak again, I was already very late to the Instagram space. I was appalled because exactly what I was trying to combat was what was happening. Everything was about ‘the grass is so green and beautiful.’ It was all about the best angles and filters. I was very uncomfortable,” she recalled during a conversation with Janice Sequeira.

“Secondly,” she added, “I did not know how to go out there and start.” She also mentioned that she went up to some actors and media agencies, asking for advice on how to begin.

Mentioning that she wanted to remain authentic to herself, Sameera asserted, “I knew I couldn’t come back and lie. I wanted to express that I experience anxiety attacks and struggle to cope with them. I find myself crying every week, questioning if I’m an imposter. I wonder about my body image, whether I’m truly fat or thin. I simply wanted to streamline and convey that this is who I am, having both good days and really tough ones.”

Sameera also pointed out that the initial reactions she garnered were quite disheartening. A significant portion of her social media followers, comprising the limited number she had at the time, started to unfollow her. 

“They ran away. They expected ‘sexy Sam,’ and they didn’t appreciate the fact that I was being honest.” Sameera, however, noted that because she aimed for a good crowd, she was fine with this outcome. 

She proceeded to recall how a considerable number of her ‘friends’ ignored and ghosted her when she approached them, asking for shout-outs. 

“I started reaching out to people asking them if they could do shout-outs. But, nobody did. People just ignored me. And these are people who, when I was at the top of my game, were ‘friends’.”

She also mentioned that two agencies with whom she had undertaken significant projects before, didn’t even come for a meeting with her. “One agency enquired about my concept and whether I intended to portray myself as a ‘yummy mommy’ like Malaika Arora or a ‘sexy, fitness mom’ like Shilpa Shetty. I informed them that I wasn’t aiming to establish any specific branding. My goal was simply to recreate a safe space for conversations and rediscover my space. They never called me back thinking I was cuckoo.”

In her 11-year-long career till 2013, Sameera, who commenced her journey by portraying a central character in the 2002 romantic action movie Maine Dil Tujhko Diya, starring alongside Sanjay Dutt and Sohail Khan, has worked with numerous superstars in various languages. 

Also read - OMG! Sameera Reddy’s Transformation will shock you! Pictures Inside!

These include Akshay Kumar, Chiranjeevi, Ajith Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Jr NTR, Suriya, Bipasha Basu, Anil Kapoor, John Abraham, and Saif Ali Khan.

In 2014, she tied the knot with entrepreneur Akshai Varde and is now a mother to a son and a daughter.

For more news and updates from the world of television, OTT and movies, stay tuned to TellyChakkar.

Credits - The Indian Express