HowCitadel: Honey Bunny'sSamantha Ruth Prabhu Overcame 'Crippling Spasms' from Myositis to Nail 'Complicated' Action Role

Mar. 15, 2025

Samantha in ‘Citadel: Honey Bunny.'.Photo:Amazon Studios

Amazon Studios

Samantha Ruth Prabhu wasn’t sure she could power through production ofCitadel: Honey Bunny, but in the end, she’s extremely glad she did.

While Samantha gives a memorable, adrenaline-pumping performance, behind the scenes, the actress struggled mightily with the demanding role due to symptoms stemming from myositis, an autoimmune disease that attacks the body’s muscles.

Diagnosed with the condition in 2022, Samantha, 37, tells PEOPLE she dealt with “crippling spasms,” fatigue and sensitivity to light — an “incredibly hard” experience that caused her to, at one point, email directors Krishna D.K. and Raj Nidimoru asking that she be replaced before production onCitadel: Honey Bunnystarted.

Samantha and Varun Dhawan in ‘Citadel: Honey Bunny.'.Amazon Studios

In a recent interview with PEOPLE, Samantha shares the challenges she overcame while filming.

“I would close my eyes just before the shot and only when they say ‘action,’ I would open them, and it wouldjustbe enough for that shot and close them back again,” says Samantha, referring to her light sensitivity. “I didn’t let too many who know how difficult it was. Just a few of the inner circle knew how much I was struggling.”

“There were days where we all thought [the] shoot was going to get canceled because I wasn’t able to get up,” she continues. “To now think back, it must have been some kind of divine intervention because I really don’t know how I did. … I certainly wasn’t ready. I was a little better than when it started. I was 50% there, but nowhere close to being able to do action.”

Still, Samantha rose to the occasion, even soldiering through 35 takes for one fight scene towards the end of the first episode. As the camera whirs around a fast-moving car jostling left and right, the actress takes on two men. The sequence took three hours — two hours more than expected — to shoot and proved surprisingly grueling.

Samantha and Kashvi Majmundar in ‘Citadel: Honey Bunny.'.Amazon Studios

“I had shot some incredibly difficult and complicated action sequences before that particular sequence, so I assumed it was going to be child’s play,” she says. “But this particular take ended up really killing everyone on set because it turned out to be so complicated … The camera work and the movement of the car, it just became incredibly technical.”

After production wrapped onCitadel: Honey Bunny, Samantha took a year off from acting to focus on her health. While she remains private regarding the full scope of treatments for her condition, she partly credits alternative medicine for her improved state.

“I don’t want to do more harm than good, but I definitely want to keep talking about all of the amazing possibilities that exist with alternative medicine,” she adds.

Now as a vocal health advocate, and with season 1 ofCitadel: Honey Bunnybehind her, the actress is aware she’s potentially becoming a role model to her tens of millions of social media followers — a responsibility she doesn’t take lightly.

Samantha in ‘Citadel: Honey Bunny.'.Amazon Studios

She also doesn’t regret starring inCitadel: Honey Bunny, even if the journey was a difficult one.

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Citadel: Honey Bunnycan be streamed on Prime Video.

source: people.com