Mumbai: Actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu has once again fuelled speculation about her relationship with Citadel: Honey Bunny director Raj Nidimoru. The rumours gained traction after she shared a series of photos from a recent pickleball tournament, where the two were spotted together. Samantha, who owns the pickleball team Chennai Super Champs, posted several pictures from the World Pickleball League match on February 1. Among them, a particular image showing her holding Raj Nidimoru’s hand caught fans’ attention, leading many to believe she might be subtly confirming their relationship. The pictures quickly went viral, with a Reddit post captioned, “I guess Sam is kinda making it official. Good for her, as long as everyone is happy!” Despite the growing speculation, neither Samantha nor Raj has publicly addressed the rumours.
Raj Nidimoru is one half of the acclaimed filmmaking duo Raj & DK, known for their work on The Family Man, Farzi, Citadel: Honey Bunny, and Guns & Gulaabs. Samantha, who starred in The Family Man 2 and Citadel: Honey Bunny, is set to collaborate with Raj & DK once again for Rakht Brahmand. Speaking about working with the directors, she said, “I think with Family Man, I was able to portray something that I’ve never done before. Again with Citadel: Honey Bunny, it was something that I hadn’t done before. And again with Rakht Brahmand, things are more challenging. Raj and DK have spoiled me for good reason. They are the ones who inspired me to want more and more challenges.”
Samantha was previously married to actor Naga Chaitanya, but the couple announced their separation in 2021 after four years of marriage. While she has remained private about her personal life, her recent social media activity has sparked widespread discussion. Whether or not Samantha and Raj Nidimoru are officially together remains to be seen, but their increasing public appearances and collaborations continue to fuel curiosity among fans.