Dubai: Samantha Ruth Prabhu is in the headlines for more than just the strong opening of her latest film Maa Inti Bangaaram. A new wave of pregnancy speculation has emerged after clips from a private celebration with her husband, filmmaker Raj Nidimoru, surfaced online. Neither Samantha nor Raj has confirmed or denied the rumours so far.But long before this latest round of speculation, Samantha had spoken openly about her plans for motherhood, and how seriously she had thought about what it would mean for her life and career.'The date has been fixed'Back in 2018, shortly after marrying her then husband Naga Chaitanya, Samantha addressed the inevitable questions about starting a family in an interview with Film Companion. She laughed about it, saying the couple had actually sat down and picked a specific date for when they wanted to have their first child.She joked that Chaitanya seemed fully convinced it would happen according to schedule, even though she found the idea of planning it down to a date a little optimistic. But the intention was clear. "We have definitely fixed the timeline as to when we want to have a baby," she said.'That child will be everything for me'What stood out more than the timeline talk was what Samantha said about how motherhood would reshape her priorities. When asked whether acting would take a back seat, she did not hedge.She said that when she has a child, that child would be her entire universe. She spoke about having deep respect for working mothers but was clear that for her, the first few years would be about being fully present. She linked it to her own upbringing, saying her childhood had not been easy, and that like many people who had similar experiences, her instinct was to give her child everything she did not have.She had planned a baby before her separationThat 2018 interview was not the only time Samantha spoke about starting a family. During the promotions for Shaakuntalam in 2021, producer Neelima Guna revealed that Samantha had specifically asked for the film's shoot to be wrapped by July or August of that year so she could plan a baby with Chaitanya.Neelima said Samantha had been upfront about it from the start. When she was approached for the role, she loved the script but made it clear that the shoot needed to finish within a specific window. She told the producers she was planning to start a family, that motherhood was her priority, and that Shaakuntalam would be her last film before a long break.The production team accommodated the request, shooting without breaks to stay on schedule.A different chapter nowSamantha and Naga Chaitanya separated in 2021, four years after their wedding. Chaitanya has since married actor Sobhita Dhulipala, while Samantha tied the knot with filmmaker Raj Nidimoru in December 2025.Whether or not the current speculation turns out to be true, the older interviews paint a picture of someone who has thought deeply about motherhood for years and has always been clear about where it sits in her list of priorities.I’m a passionate journalist and creative writer graduate specialising in arts, culture, and storytelling. My work aims to engage readers with stories that inspire, inform, and celebrate the richness of human experience. From arts and entertainment to technology, lifestyle, and human interest features, I aim to bring a fresh perspective and thoughtful voice to every story I tell.