Recently, Tollywood actor Samantha Akkineni surprised TV audiences by hosting the Dasara episode of Big Boss Telugu 4, as Nagarjuna, the original host and her father-in-law, was in Manali to shoot for his upcoming film Wild Dog. On getting the opportunity to host the show, Samantha wrote on Instagram, “An experience to remember... Never thought I’d be on the Big Boss stage as host! Only because I was given this responsibility by my Mamagaru.. I could find the strength to overcome my fears ... the fear that I had no experience hosting, the fear of Telugu .. I had never even watched an episode befor.. (ended up doing a marathon 3 days before the show ). Thankyou mama for helping me overcome my fears and trusting me with this. And I really need to thank all of you for all the love I received after the episode... I was jumping with joy (sic).”
Later, it was revealed that Samantha will be hosting a celebrity talk show, titled Sam Jam, on the OTT platform Aha. The first four episodes have been shot already, and the first episode will air on November 13, just in time for the festive season of Deepavali.
The promotional pictures for Sam Jam show Samantha in a gorgeous red pantsuit. Fans were in for a treat, as it was revealed that Vijay Deverakonda will be Samantha’s first guest on the show. In the promotional pictures, the actor is seen sporting grey trousers and a jacket, with a pair of white sneakers.
The OTT platform Aha, owned by ace producer Allu Aravind, has managed to rope in some top celebrities for Sam Jam, we hear. Reports are that Tammannah, Rashmika Mandanna and Allu Arjun may appear as Samantha’s guests in the near future.
Samantha’s current acting assignments include the Vignesh Shivan directorial Kaathu Vaakula Rendu Kaadhal, in which she will share the screen with Vijay Sethupathi and Nayanthara for the first time.
There are also reports that Ashwin Saravanan of Maya and Game Over fame will be wielding the megaphone for Samantha’s next project. Touted to be a horror thriller, the preparation work for this film is currently on, say sources. Samantha has reportedly been undergoing rigorous training to fit into the skin of her character. The story of this horror flick is set in Dehradun and will have a lot of thrilling elements. Reports are that Prasanna has been roped in to play the male lead. Sony Pictures will be bankrolling the film, which remains untitled as of now.
Samantha was last seen in the Telugu flick Jaanu, which was the remake of the Tamil hit 96.