Mahesh Narayanan made C U Soon, a thriller told entirely through screens. But he's not the only one capable of spinning nail-biting mysteries through the digital medium. Scores of fans and the media have also mastered the art, going by the deep dissections and conclusions drawn from the social media posts of actors Samantha and Naga Chaitanya. The question is — will they, won't they?
Ever since the Ye Maya Chesave lead pair got married in 2017, their fairytale romance has been celebrated by the media and fans alike, with every photograph of them together going viral. There was also the occasional news that Samantha was secretly pregnant though there was no follow-up on what happened to the baby. However, there is now apparently trouble in paradise. Or that's what the social media investigation has concluded.
It all began when Samantha changed her name to just 'S' on her Instagram and Twitter pages in July this year. Was it because she was playing the lead in Shakuntalam? Why did she drop the Akkineni surname? The nation wanted to know. While many decided that this was a surefire sign that the couple was headed for a divorce, the eternal #ChaySam fans took refuge in the fact that she was still Samantha Akkineni on Facebook.
Much to the consternation of everyone, the couple refused to address the rumours, and people who were waiting with bated breath were left with no choice but to release it eventually. Samantha was asked by Film Companion about the speculation but she merely said that she will not be "bulldozed" into saying something just because people were talking about it. This was, of course, not at all an encouraging sign for #ChaySam fans. If only Samantha had declared her evergreen love for Naga Chaitanya!
To make matters even more complicated, Samantha is now 'S' on Twitter, 'Samantha Ruth Prabhu' on Instagram and 'Samantha Akkineni' on Facebook. This inconsistency has become a tremendous roadblock for investigative journalists probing this matter of national importance. They're forced to write articles with headlines that say '5 signs Akkineni Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu's marriage may be over' rather than state it as a matter of fact.
The 'will they-won't they' thriller acquired a twist when Samantha wished father-in-law Nagarjuna Akkineni for his birthday through a sweet social media post on August 19 but did not attend the birthday party. Oh. My. God. So it really is over then?! But all the research and analysis only led to Samantha taking a jibe at the media by posting a meme about pit bulls. Sigh.
When Nagarjuna refused to meet the media before the launch of the new season of Bigg Boss Telugu for which he's the host, it was once again CONFIRMED (for the millionth time by now) that Samantha and Naga Chaitanya were headed for a split. Just as everyone had settled down to shed tears, the trailer of Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi's Love Story was released. Samantha tweeted about it, adding another plot twist. She quote tweeted Naga Chaitanya, but only tagged Sai Pallavi in her tweet. Again, confusing, confusing, confusing.
WINNER!!
— S (@Samanthaprabhu2) September 13, 2021
All the very best to the team @Sai_Pallavi92 .. #LoveStoryTrailer https://t.co/nt9rzTc3lY
Is quote tweeting the same as tagging? Does it convey the same level of affection or is it distinctly colder? If you quote tweet someone, does that mean you're divorcing them? If you had tagged them instead, does that mean you are not divorcing them? Naga Chaitanya had so far been silent through the social media storm and media speculation, but he ALSO quote tweeted Samantha and said 'Thanks Sam !!'. While many saw this as a patch-up, others wished Naga Chaitanya had added some loving emojis in reply to Samantha. If only the #ChaySam fans would come up with a toolkit and give it to the couple on how they should tweet, it would save everyone from this needless suspense.
Thanks Sam !! https://t.co/XDI4gAOjmR
— chaitanya akkineni (@chay_akkineni) September 14, 2021
So that's where things lie at the moment. Will they, won't they? No one knows. But like Muhammad of Ghazni, the investigators will keep trying, sitting at the edge of their chairs in their pajamas.