Samantha Ruth Prabhu, who is super busy with the promotions of her film Shaakuntalam, was recently asked during an interview with Gulte if she will feature in a dance number in Allu Arjun's Pushpa: The Rule. When the interviewer told the actress that her performance in the globally viral song Oo Antava from Pushpa was loved by the audience, Samantha interrupted and said, "No, that's not happening if you're asking me. I'm not doing any song before you get there." Pushpa The Rule is the second installment of the 2021 hit film Pushpa: The Rise. It will feature Allu Arjun, Rashmika Mandanna and Fahadh Faasil. The makers unveiled the first poster from the film on Allu Arjun's birthday last week.
Samantha, during an interview with Miss Malini last month, revealed that she was advised not to be part of the song as it came out just after her and Naga Chaitanya's separation in 2021. "While I was offered Oo Antava, I was in the middle of all of the separation. The announcement came and every friend of mine every well-wisher, and my family were like 'you sit at home, you will not do an item song now just after you announced a separation and you will say no to this'," Samantha told Miss Malini.
On Karan Johar's chat show Koffee With Karan 7 last year, when the actress was asked by the host if Oo Antava was meant to be a "rebellious or a strategic move," Samantha said this, "I loved the song. It was a satire on the male gaze. I know I got a lot of criticism about pandering to the male gaze while making a satire on the male gaze. My logic was who else can satire a male gaze except for the nautch girl I was playing in the song or an actor who has a wide experience or wide range of the male gaze? Only a nautch girl or me can satire the male gaze."