Written By: Prerna Mittra | Updated : November 12, 2024 7:24 PM IST
After she was done shooting for 'Citadel: Honey Bunny', Samantha reportedly took an entire year off to focus on her health. (Photo: Instagram/@samantharuthprabhuoffl)
For Samantha Ruth Prabhu, dealing with a health-related situation while shooting for action-packed scenes was a nervous thought, one that almost stopped from taking up the 'Citadel: Honey Bunny' project. A spinoff of the original 'Citadel' starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Richard Madden, the Indian version has Samantha essaying the role of 'Honey', opposite Varun Dhawan.
But, the actor has been dealing with myositis, an autoimmune condition since 2022. She went public with the diagnosis back then, because there was a lot of speculation and misinformation, and also criticism about her appearance. The actor continues to raise awareness about the condition.
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According to the Cleveland Clinic, myositis makes the immune system attack the muscles, causing chronic inflammation. Over a period of time, it can make the muscles feel weak and cause a lot of pain. This was the actor's biggest reservation as she took up the role that required her to do high-adrenaline scenes.
In an interview given to a leading international media outlet, Samantha confessed that she had to deal with "crippling spasms", along with "fatigue and sensitivity to light". It was quite hard for her, and she even reached out to directors Krishna D K and Raj Nidimoru asking them to replace her.
She told the publication that there were moments when she would keep her eyes closed, only to open them while filming a scene, before closing them again because of the light sensitivity. Besides her inner circle, she did not let anyone know how difficult it was for her, and how much she had been struggling to shoot the scenes.
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She also looked back on the time when everyone would worry about the shoot getting cancelled, because she was unable to get up. After she was done shooting for 'Citadel: Honey Bunny', Samantha reportedly took an entire year off to focus on her health. She apparently relied on alternative medicine.
While experts are not really sure what exactly causes this condition, some believe it can occur on its own. Sometimes, however, it can be triggered by other health conditions. Autoimmune diseases happen when the body's immune system begins to accidentally attack the body's healthy cells.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, some patients with other autoimmune diseases -- like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and scleroderma -- are more likely to develop myositis.
In Samantha's case, doctors are confident that she will make full recovery.
