Actor Samantha Akkineni took a gamble when she decided to play the role of Rajalekshmi Sekharan/ Raji in The Family Man season 2. As she had usually remained within the confines of a quintessential heroine, it was quite a surprise to see her as a trained LTTE operative, living undercover in Chennai. “I have been put in this ‘cute girl’ slot. I thought this role would flop really badly or work really well. It completely hinged on the performance. It was very scary and risky for me,” Samantha.
Indeed, it is safe to say that her gamble paid off. Her performance as a deadly assassin, who is hardened by the bloody civil war of Sri Lanka, became one of the highlights of the series. One moment she is a helpless woman vulnerable to exploitation. The next, she is a lethal force, who can kill without thinking twice. “I never expected so many people to call and message me (to appreciate my performance). I got calls from people who never called me before,” she added.