“Raji’s story is a tribute to those that died because of an unequal war”- Samantha Akkineni on her character in The Family Man 2

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The Family Man 2 has been the most awaited web series in recent times. The show which was initially supposed to release in February this year was postponed at the last moment. It finally released on June 4 and has repeated the success it witnessed with the first season. In this season, Manoj Bajpyee's Srikant Tiwari takes on Samantha Akkineni’s Raji.

After the release of the trailer of the season last month, a section of people in Tamil Nadu had raised objections over the portrayal of Tamils in the series. Many even suggested a ban on the series for the apparent negative portrayal of Tamils. Samantha Akkineni, too, was called out for portraying such a character.

Now, after the release of the series, Samantha took to her Instagram handle to write about her character, the prep that went behind it, and what she thinks the character represents. Sharing a picture with creators Raj and DK from the sets of The Family Man 2, Samantha wrote, “When @rajanddk approached me to do the character, I was aware that portraying Raji's character required sensitivity and balance. The creative team shared documentaries of the Tamil struggle that included stories of women in the Eelam war. When I watched those documentaries, I was aghast and shocked by the troubles and unspeakable grief that the Tamils of Eelam went through over an extended period of time.”

“I noticed that the aforementioned documentaries had only a few thousand views and that is when it dawned on me how the world just looked away when tens of thousands people of Eelam lost their lives. And, lakhs more lost their livelihood and their homes. *Countless many* continue to live in far away lands with the wounds of the civil strife still fresh in their hearts and minds,” she added.

 

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A post shared by Samantha Akkineni (@samantharuthprabhuoffl)

“Raji's story, though fictional, to me, is a tribute to those that died because of an unequal war, and those who continue to live in the painful memory of the war. I was particular about Raji's portrayal being balanced, nuanced, and sensitive. I want Raji's story to be a stark, much-needed reminder for us, more than ever before, to come together as humans to fight hate, oppression, and greed. If we fail to do so, countless more will be denied their identity, liberty, and their right to self-determination,” she concluded.

ALSO READ: From learning to weave in a garment factory to locking herself in a room for three days, here’s how Samantha Akkineni became Raji for The Family Man 2