The much-anticipated series 'Citadel: Honey Bunny', starring Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Varun Dhawan, is now streaming on Prime Video and has quickly captivated audiences. Samantha’s performance as a mother and spy determined to protect her daughter has earned her widespread praise. However, behind her portrayal lies a journey marked by her struggle with Myositis, a rare autoimmune condition that attacks muscle tissue. She was diagnosed with Myositis during the shoot of the series which nearly led her to walk away from the role. 


When Samantha Ruth Prabhu wanted to quit Citadel


In an interview with Hollywood Reporter India, Samantha described herself as having an unshakeable resolve. “It’s impossible to convince me when I believe that everything is over,” she admitted. “Growing up, I have always made my own decisions. I have made my own mistakes and learnt from them. I haven’t had too many mentors or people I could trust. It was always me. In this condition, I was convinced that there is no way I could get out of my house. There is no way I could be in front of the camera. I was absolutely convinced,” she said. 


Samantha shared how the Citadel team helped her rediscover her courage. “I think that what they were able to do to get me to actually trust and put myself in someone else’s hands has actually never has been done before in 37 years of my life. I haven’t been in a position where I have said, ‘Okay, hands up, I don’t know what’s best for me, I don’t know if I can do it, but because you believe I can do it, I am just gonna put myself into your hands and trust you that you will take care of me’ and that’s what I did.” 


Samantha expressed deep gratitude for the support she received, saying, “I can’t be more grateful to these people for helping me every single day and not giving up on me and most importantly believing in me more than I believed in myself. If it wasn’t for them, it would have taken much longer for me to get healthier again and I wouldn’t have had anything to fight back for or to come back up. This was enough motivation.” 


Varun Dhawan recalls when Samantha collapsed on set


Varun Dhawan, her co-star, also spoke about the trying times on set, sharing two moments when he was overwhelmed with concern for Samantha. “I have to add, there were two instances when I was shooting with her and my heart literally sank.” Sharing the first incident, the actor said, “I was so worried because I remember one day when we were shooting, she just shut her eyes and said, ‘It’s just one of those days’. We kept shooting for about two hours and after a short while an oxygen tank is coming and she is taking oxygen on the side. She didn’t have to do this. She could have taken the day off. She was literally taking oxygen on set, and that is commitment,” he said. 


Another difficult day came while shooting an intense sequence at a railway station in Serbia. Samantha, who had been running behind Varun for the scene, collapsed, prompting Varun to call for a pack-up in frustration. “I caught her and I went to Raj and said, ‘Pack up’, and they were like, ‘Calm down. You go and stand over there. Don’t worry, she will be fine.’ I just didn’t know what to do,” he shared. 


Raj recalls Samantha's dedication


Raj, who was also present, added, “I remember that day, I was handling the camera. She had to walk up the steps and she was cramping. She was in tears and her support team took her on side. I was like, ‘Last shot’. And then I told her, ‘you can go, I have a few shots, I just needed the closeup, but I will manage the edit.’ And she was like, ‘If you will do it now, I can do it.’ And we started to shoot and she collapsed, and I have said cut, and she is still down. She had to be carried away.” 


When Varun saw Samantha breaking down


Varun recalled seeing Samantha reach her breaking point that day.  He said, “That’s the only day when I saw her break down. And I was just like… I just didn’t know who to show my anger to… because I know how caring and supporting Raj and DK have been. And they were feeling as bad, maybe more. It was just her determination and will to march on, just looking at her, gave me so much power and positivity. I felt like, ‘My problems are nothing, just look at this girl. She inspired all of us on set and taught us so much about life.’” 


Samantha was diagnosed with Myositis in 2022.