'Oh! Baby' to 'Super Deluxe': Samantha Akkineni's successful offbeat films; see list

Actor Samantha Akkineni is known for her wide-ranging roles in the Tamil and Telugu film industry. Her first-ever film release came with the critically acclaimed Gautham Menon directorial Telugu romance film, Ye Maaya Chesave (2010). Her first film garnered her huge popularity, as she went on to win the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. Since then Samantha Akkineni has become an acting powerhouse in the South Indian film industry space, where she captured audiences with her critically acclaimed performances in Neethaane En Ponvasantham, Eega, Super Deluxe, Majili, Oh! Baby, U-Turn, A Aa, Kaththi and many more films in the last 11 years. While many of her films centred around popular contemporary romantic plots, here are some of the films where she starred in successful offbeat films. 

Samantha Akkineni's best offbeat roles in film

U Turn (2018) [Amazon Prime Video]

Samantha Akkineni starred in this Pawan Kumar mystery thriller in 2018. The plot revolves around the death of motorists who break a traffic rule at a particular flyover and subsequent pinning down of the culprit, by an intern journalist and police inspector duo. Samantha played the role of Rachana in this mystery thriller which was noted by critics for its interesting twists and turns and the performances of the leads. The film had a modest run at the box office earning Rs. 37 crore. U Turn was a remake of the 2016 Kannada film of the same name. 

Super Deluxe (2019) [Netflix]

Samantha Akkineni starred in this anthology film where she featured in Vaembu and Mugil's story. She played Vaembu, Mugil’s (Faasil) wife who has sex with her ex-boyfriend, who suddenly dies in bed with her. She and Fahadh Faasil's performance garnered critical acclaim, with many critics calling it the best short segment from the film. The film released theatrically on March 29, 2019, and earned Rs 53 crore on a 35 crore budget. Super Deluxe was noted for its production values, gripping storyline and performances from the cast.

Oh! Baby (2019) [Netflix]

Samantha Akkineni starred as a 24-year-old ‘’Baby’’ also known as Swathi in this Telugu fantasy comedy film by B. V. Nandini Reddy. A remake of the 2014 South Korean film Miss Granny, the film is about Savitri, a 70-year-old woman who is not happy with her life and accuses God of her problems. When she gets her photograph clicked at a studio, she gets mysteriously transformed into a beautiful 24-year-old girl. Samantha's performance received critical acclaim, with the film earning about Rs 40 crore on a Rs 16 crore budget.

Eega (2012) [Disney+Hotstar]

Samantha starred in this 2012 action fantasy by Baahubali: The Beginning director S.S Rajamouli. She played Bindu, who is the love interest of Nani who is the protagonist. Nani is murdered by a wealthy businessman named Sudeep, who is attracted to Bindu, whilst considering Nani as a business rival. Nani then reincarnates as a housefly and tries to avenge his death and protect Bindu from an obsessive Sudeep. The film garnered Samantha Akkineni the South Filmfare Award for Best Telugu Actress among many other accolades for the film. The film also became a blockbuster success, earning Rs 254 crore worldwide on a modest budget of Rs 35 crore.