Raj Nidimoru shields wife Samantha Ruth Prabhu from crowd during Tirumala visit. Watch

3 min readNew DelhiJun 18, 2026 09:36 PM IST

Samantha and Raj tied the knot on December 1, 2025, in an intimate ceremony. (Photo: X/Samcults)

Actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu visited the Tirumala Tirupati temple on Wednesday, two days ahead of the release of her upcoming Telugu film Maa Inti Bangaaram. Accompanied by husband and filmmaker Raj Nidimoru, as well as director BV Nandini Reddy, Samantha sought blessings at the shrine.

Photos and videos from the visit have since surfaced online, but one particular moment has especially caught fans’ attention.

Raj Nidimoru’s protective gesture catches fans’ attention

As Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Raj Nidimoru made their way out of the Lord Balaji temple after completing the darshan, they were quickly surrounded by devotees eager to catch a glimpse of the actor. In a video now circulating on social media, Raj can be seen instinctively pulling Samantha closer and keeping an arm around her as members of their team helped clear a path through the crowd.

The gesture quickly won hearts online, with many fans praising the filmmaker’s protective and caring nature.

About Maa Inti Bangaaram

The temple visit comes at an important time for Samantha Ruth Prabhu as Maa Inti Bangaaram prepares for release. Directed by Nandini Reddy, the family action-comedy marks the filmmaker’s reunion with Samantha after their successful collaboration on Oh! Baby in 2019. The screenplay has been written by Raj Nidimoru and Vasanth Maringanti.

திருப்பதியில் சம்மு 🧡🧡🧡 pic.twitter.com/rIlyhDhXdn

— Anshitha🫶💖🍉 (@Anshithaprincey) June 18, 2026

திருப்பதியில் சம்மு 🧡🧡🧡 pic.twitter.com/rIlyhDhXdn

— Anshitha🫶💖🍉 (@Anshithaprincey) June 18, 2026

The film has also generated attention because it continues Samantha’s shift towards action-oriented roles. After earning praise for projects such as The Family Man 2, Yashoda and Citadel: Honey Bunny, the actor will be seen headlining another action-driven entertainer.

Maa Inti Bangaaram also stars Gulshan Devaiah and Diganth Manchale in key roles, alongside Gautami Tadimalla, Sreemukhi, Manjusha and Srinivas Gavireddy in supporting parts.

Raj Nidimoru has played a significant role in the making of Maa Inti Bangaaram. Apart from co-writing the screenplay, he has also produced and created the project. The couple have previously collaborated on The Family Man 2 and Citadel: Honey Bunny.

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’99 percent of the time I listen to him’

Samantha recently opened up about how involved Raj is in her life, revealing that she consults him on almost everything, including social media posts.

Speaking to Galatta Plus during the film’s promotions, Samantha said, “My personal life is separate, my professional life is separate,” before adding, “every single thing is a joint decision. Every single thing.”

Explaining further, she said, “I’m saying is something as simple as an Instagram post, I still just bounce it off him because he has such a real perspective on things,” adding that he remains grounded despite working in an industry that “kind of alienates you and kind of puts you in a bubble.”

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She further shared, “I think that I love to bounce off every decision that I make with him, and 99 percent of the time I listen to him.”

Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Raj Nidimoru tied the knot on December 1, 2025, in an intimate ceremony in Coimbatore. The actor shared photographs from the wedding on Instagram the same day.