Actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s latest Instagram post has triggered widespread speculation about her relationship status. The actor shared a set of cosy pictures with filmmaker Raj Nidimoru, one half of the director duo Raj & DK, alongside a caption that spoke of “new beginnings.” The post, meant to celebrate her production debut Subham, instead sparked dating rumours—further fuelled by a cryptic Instagram Story from Raj’s wife, Shhyamali.
The post that sparked it all
On Wednesday, Samantha shared several behind-the-scenes pictures from Subham, including a notable image where she is seen resting her head on Raj’s shoulder during a flight. Another picture showed the duo standing close together while pointing at a poster of the film. Samantha captioned it, “Thank you for watching, feeling and celebrating #SUBHAM with us! Our very first step—fuelled by heart, madness and the belief that new, fresh stories matter! We are @tralalamovingpictures And with Subham, the journey has begun. What a start!”
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Internet reads between the lines
While the caption focused on the project, fans couldn’t help but focus on the eighth slide of the post, where Samantha and Raj appeared particularly cosy. Comments quickly poured in: “It’s official! Raj and Sam are in love,” read one. Others chimed in with, “Samraj is the new name for you both,” and “Stay happy Sam, you finally found someone who values you.”
Shhyamali’s cryptic post
Soon after the photos went viral, Raj Nidimoru’s wife, Shhyamali, shared a cryptic message on her Instagram Stories: “I send blessings and love to everyone who thinks of me, sees me, hears me, hears of me, speaks to me, speaks of me, reads of me, writes of me and meets me today.” The timing of her post led many to interpret it as a subtle response to the dating rumours.
History and silence
Raj and Samantha have worked together on The Family Man 2 and the upcoming Citadel: Honey Bunny. Raj has frequently featured in Samantha’s social media updates, though neither has commented on the ongoing rumours.
Raj has been married to Shhyamali since 2015, and the couple has a daughter. Meanwhile, Samantha was previously married to actor Naga Chaitanya, with whom she split in 2021. Naga is now married to actress Sobhita Dhulipala.