The much-awaited Amazon Prime web series, The Family Man season 2, began streaming on Friday, which has Bollywood actor Manoj Bajpayee and South Indian actress Priyamani reprising their roles after a highly successful first edition. The second season of the espionage action thriller series had cast leading Tamil actress Samantha Akkineni in an important role, with the show since then also getting mixed in plenty of controversy prior to its premiere as several political parties called for a ban stating the portrayal of her character was hurting the sentiments of Tamils. However, The Family Man 2 has been reaping in glory as the show has been receiving positive reviews from fans and critics everywhere, with Samantha now taking to her Instagram page to share a detailed note on why she decided to portray the character of Eelam rebel Raji on the show. 

Sharing a picture with the directors Raj and DK, Samantha wrote, "Reading all the reviews and comments fills my heart with so much joy .. RAJI will always be special. 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 further explained, "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." Below is Samantha’s note:

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Samantha Akkineni (@samantharuthprabhuoffl)