Raj Nidimoru’s ex-wife shares cryptic Instagram story following Samantha’s hand-holding video: ‘Respond intelligently even to unintelligent treatment’

Amid strong rumours surrounding actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s alleged relationship with director Raj Nidimoru, the filmmaker’s ex-wife, Shhyamali De, has sparked speculation with a series of cryptic Instagram stories. In one of the notes shared on her Instagram, Shhyamali wrote, “Respond intelligently even to unintelligent treatment.” In an earlier story, she had posted about detachment, quoting Ali Ibn Abi Talib: “Detachment is not that you should own nothing, but that nothing should own you.”

Raj Nidimoru’s ex-wife, Shhyamali De, shared a cryptic Instagram stories.

The rumours gained momentum after Samantha posted a reel on social media, capturing intimate glimpses from her recent trip to Dubai. The reel, captioned “What I see vs What you see,” featured several personal moments, but what particularly caught attention was a shot of her holding hands with a man. Though their faces were not visible, the man was seen wearing a black jacket, denim jeans, and carrying a black bag, with a phone in one hand and Samantha’s hand in the other. The pair appeared to be walking hand in hand in a seemingly affectionate manner. Raj Nidimoru, best known as one half of the director duo Raj & DK, was previously married to Shhyamali De. The couple finalized their divorce in 2022. Shhyamali, a psychology graduate, has worked as an assistant director with acclaimed filmmakers like Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and Vishal Bhardwaj. The former couple also have a daughter.

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Samantha and Raj have collaborated professionally on multiple projects, beginning with The Family Man 2 (2021), which marked Samantha’s digital debut. They also worked together on Citadel: Honey Bunny (2024), and are currently involved in the upcoming Netflix series Rakt Brahmand: The Bloody Kingdom. While neither Samantha nor Raj has officially addressed the dating rumours, they have been spotted together on various occasions, most notably visiting the Tirupati temple earlier this year. A few months ago, Samantha also shared a selfie on social media, which showed her resting her head on Raj’s shoulder during a flight. Samantha was previously married to actor Naga Chaitanya. The couple announced their separation in 2021. Chaitanya has since moved on and married actress Sobhita Dhulipala last year.