For actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu, 2026 is proving to be a largely triumphant year as she continues to make strides in both her personal and professional life. After announcing her pregnancy with her first child and the blockbuster success of her most recent outing, Maa Inti Bangaaram, the actor has also achieved significant success in her entrepreneurial journey.In a notable achievement, Secret Alchemist — the perfume brand co-founded by Samantha, Ankita Thadani, and Akash Valia — crossed the Rs 120-crore revenue mark after the label grew eightfold in the past eight months, Fashion Network reported. “It feels incredibly rewarding to see two very different journeys reach such meaningful milestones,” Samantha reportedly said.The journey, however, began when Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s health took a toll on her.Speaking to Masoom Minawala, the actress opened up about how her Myositis diagnosis forced her to reassess her identity and priorities. “Getting sick forced me to sit with this uncomfortable question: ‘Who am I when I wasn’t working?’ That thought changed everything, and I finally had to find value in who I was as a person, not what I do. And that changed so many of my decisions. Even when it comes to business decisions and deciding to invest in these companies, they were products that I chose and believed in. It all stemmed from this shift in perception of myself,” she shared.She added, “In a lot of ways, I thought sickness made me lose control and made me feel like I didn’t have an identity, but it actually was the time that was most important to me. It introduced me to who I really was. It made all the difference.”Check Out | Jailer 2 Box Office Collection Day 6 Updates: Rajinikanth-starrer crosses Rs 560 cr worldwide, to surpass prequel’s lifetime collection View this post on Instagram A post shared by Samantha (@samantharuthprabhuoffl)How Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s health journey led her to AlchemistSpeaking about how her health struggles eventually led her to Alchemist, Samantha explained that her doctor had advised her to adopt a cleaner lifestyle alongside her medication and reduce the toxic load on her body.“The doctor advised me to read the ingredients, read labels better and reduce the use of harsh chemicals. I didn’t know that the traditional perfumes that I was using had so many different chemicals.” Samantha, who is pregnant with her first child, said, “Now, I understand why new moms don’t use perfume around their babies. No one was asking that question.”Story continues below this adSamantha revealed that she had to give up perfumes for nearly two years. Although she eventually returned to using them, the experience had changed her relationship with fragrances.“I found my way back to using perfumes, but it just didn’t feel the same. Once you know certain things, you just can’t unknow them. At that point in time, I was using Secret Alchemist aromatherapy blends. I loved it,” she shared.Her search for cleaner alternatives eventually inspired her to create one herself.Explaining how the idea took shape, Samantha said, “So when I proposed this to Ankita, I had no idea that she was this scent wizard. It’s one thing to have all these ideas in your head, but it’s another ballgame altogether to take these ideas and go into your lab and concoct this magic formula. There is no compromise on the smell. The clean part is an add-on. It has been an incredible win for us.”Story continues below this adSamantha Ruth Prabhu on business failures and the journey to successIn the same interview, Samantha, who has generated revenue of Rs 120 crore, reflected on how people often focus on the success of a business without acknowledging the setbacks and failures that preceded it. Recalling her first partnership, the actress revealed that the venture did not work out, but the experience taught her valuable lessons.“My first partnership didn’t work. It failed. And sometimes, the first project that you invest in failing can actually be a good thing. It can actually teach you more than success,” she said.Samantha added that her journey had been shaped more by setbacks than by achievements.“I think my life has been about learning from my failures. Not learning from my success. Success hasn’t really taught me much,” she said.Story continues below this adEmphasising the importance of understanding the process behind a successful venture, she explained that building a brand takes time, patience and the willingness to learn from mistakes.“For anyone who is looking at this successful brand, it took us a long time to get here and a series of mistakes. Everything was built step by step. Along with success came a long list of failures. There have been many projects that have been absolute failures, left us disappointed, almost giving up. It applies to every entrepreneur. It is very important that when you see success, you see everything that led them to this moment,” she concluded.In addition to Secret Alchemist, she also serves as the co-founder of Saaki, a contemporary Indian women’s fashion and lifestyle brand. Samantha is also associated with Mile Collective, an Indian activewear and lifestyle brand, and Gataca, a supplement brand.She was most recently seen in director BV Nandini Reddy’s Maa Inti Bangaaram, which became her first bona fide box-office success in a while and her highest solo grosser, earning over Rs 100 crore worldwide.Story continues below this adSamantha tied the knot with filmmaker Raj Nidimoru in December 2025 and announced in June 2026 that they are expecting their first child.