Samantha's first release was Indira Productions' Gautham Menon directed Telugu f

ilm, Ye Maaya Chesave. The film, simultaneously made in Tamil as Vinnaithaandi V

aruvaayaa, created much anticipation prior to release, due primarily to the firs
t-time-collaboration between Gautham Menon and composer A. R. Rahman.[12] The ac
tress was signed up for the project in mid August 2009 and completed shoots acro
ss India and the United States, and the film was released on 26 February 2010.[1
3] In the film, Samantha plays the lead character Jessie, which was also the wor
king title of the film, a Malayali Saint Thomas Christian girl[14] living in Hyd
erabad, with whom the male protagonist, played by Naga Chaitanya, falls in love.
Upon release of the film, Samantha received very positive reviews for her portr
ayal, with the film itself garnering much critical acclaim.[15] Critics at Sify
praised Samantha as a "scene-stealer" and her beauty as "alluring", adding that
"she was the girl to watch out for".[15] Jeevi, from the Idlebrain reviews site,
wrote that "Samantha's debut is one of the best heroine debuts in Telugu cinema
" and noted that the "minute expressions she gave spoke volumes about her", whil
st labelling the film as a "classic". Samantha, alongside her co-star, Naga Chai
tanya, also appeared in a cameo role in the Tamil version of the film.[16] Both
the Telugu and the Tamil versions of the films proved to be grand successes, pro
pelling Samantha's career into bigger projects.[17] She followed up her collabor
ations with Gautham Menon and A. R. Rahman by appearing in the music video for t
he World Classical Tamil Conference 2010 promotional song, Semmozhiyaana Tamizh
Mozhiyaam, which Menon directed and Rahman composed.
Samantha's next release was the Sathya Jyothi-produced romantic drama, Baana Kaa
thadi, opposite Adharvaa. The film was actually the third Tamil project signed b
y the actress, but its release preceded the first two that she was contracted fo
r due to delays in their completion.[18][19] Following terms agreed upon in earl
y 2009, the film continued shoots for a year, and after several postponements fi
nally released in August 2010 to positive response.[19][20] In the film, Samanth
a plays a student of National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), the first
such role in Tamil cinema.[21] Her next release was Ravi Varman's Moscowin Kaver
y, originally her very first contract. The shooting for the film began in August
2007, with Samantha, then briefly credited with the screen name Yasodha, joinin
g the team later in the year.[22] The film introduced a host of new actors, with
the music scored by Thaman, who was making his debut as a film music director.
In an interview, much prior to release in 2008, Ravi Varman mentioned that he ha
d decided that Samantha would be the lead actress for his film within three minu
tes after viewing one of her commercial assignments.[23] In the interview, he we
nt on to describe her as an actress with "intelligence" and "potential", whilst
drawing comparisons with the noted actress, Revathi.[23] However, due to Ravi Va
rman's prior commitments as cinematographer in other projects, the film languish
ed in development hell, eventually releasing in August 2010.[24] The film earned
poor reviews from critics unanimously.[25] However Samantha's performance was c
redited as one of the sole highlights that the film offered.[26] In August 2008,
while still completing her last three projects, Samantha also signed up to play
the lead role of a modern girl in the Narain starrer, Pookada Ravi.[27] However
, despite the shooting following schedule at regular intervals the project has s
talled since 2009, and the film seems unlikely to be released.[28] Samantha went
on to feature in Vamsi Paidipally's Telugu film Brindaavanam in which she had a
supporting role alongside NTR Jr and Kajal Aggarwal.[29] Her performance as Ind
u was well received despite the role having a shorter screen time than the ones
she had played in her previous films, and the film became her second successful
one in Telugu.[30]
2014[edit]
2011
In 2011, Samantha made a guest appearance as a mentally ill patient in Gautham M
enon's Nadunisi Naaygal, before featuring in the big budget Telugu film, Dookudu
, alongside Mahesh Babu. The film was a blockbuster. The film opened to positive
review with critics from CNN-IBN labelling the film as "a treat for Mahesh's fa
ns", adding that Samantha "looks good in song sequences"[31] The Times of India
also praised the film mentioning that "Samantha looks beautiful and has done a g
reat job, though her role as Prashanthi isn't too lengthy".[32] The film took th

e largest ever opening for a Telugu film and grossed ?125.8 million on the first
day of its release. Samantha was then signed as the female lead in two big budg
et projects in Tamil, Mani Ratnam's Kadal and Shankar's Ai but was forced to opt
out from both films, since she was suffering from a skin disease and could not
work for two months.[33][34] In 2012, she made a guest appearance in Gautham Men
on's Ekk Deewana Tha which was a remake of the director's own films, Vinnaithaan
di Varuvaayaa and Ye Maaya Chesave, repeating her role from Vinnaithaandi Varuva
ayaa. She then featured in S. S. Rajamouli's live action Telugu-Tamil bilingual
project Eega/Naan E,[35] The film was a high commercial success according to The E
conomic Times it grossed more than ? 1.25 billion[36] and went on to be dubbed in
several foreign and Indian languages.[37][38] Idlebrain in their review wrote, "
Samantha's run of success continues as she did extremely well as a bereaved love
r."[39] She then signed on Gautham Menon's trilingual project,[40] playing the f
emale lead in all three languages
Telugu, Tamil and Hindi and shooting all scene
s thrice with different co-actors across languages.[41] The Telugu and Tamil ver
sions titled Yeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu and Neethaane En Ponvasantham released in
December 2012, while the Hindi version, Assi Nabbe Poorey Sau has been shelved.
[42][43]
In the beginning of 2013, she appeared in Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu tha
t featured Venkatesh and Mahesh Babu in the lead, marking her second film with M
ahesh Babu. The film was critically and commercially successful and her performa
nce was praised by critics along with the other female lead, Anjali.[44] Mahesh
S Koneru of 123telugu.com commented on her performance stating "Samantha is beau
tiful and adorable in this movie. Her cute expressions and romantic scenes with
Mahesh Babu make you want to root for her".[45] IBN Live too commented positivel
y on her performance stating "Good to see Samantha shed her glamorous side and w
elcome performance-oriented roles, which she only handles with deftness and ease
".[46] Later, in February, she played the lead role in Nandini Reddy's Jabardast
h co-starring Siddharth. The film, which was an unofficial remake of the 2010 Hi
ndi film Band Baaja Baaraat was commercially successful.[47] Oneindia Entertainm
ent in their review commented "Samantha has good scope in the film and her bubbl
y characterisation is entertaining. The actress will surely impress you in both
romantic and emotional sequences.[48] She then starred in Trivikram Srinivas' At
tharintiki Daaredhi with Pawan Kalyan,[49] which released to positive reviews an
d became the highest-grossing Telugu film of the year. Samantha's next film Rama
yya Vasthavayya directed by Harish