After the initial disappointment of an average debut in Sandalwood, and reeling from rejection due to weight issues, actress Meghana headed to an alien destination, finding love and appreciation in the Malayalam film industry that accepted her with open arms.
With atleast a dozen films in a short span in Malayalam to her credit, she has now three Kannada films in her kitty including the periodic film Allama directed by veteran TS Nagabharana. The only daughter of popular Kannada actors — Sundar Raj and Pramila Joshai, she speaks to Bengaluru Chronicle about her initial days, her films, and how she overcame hurdles which she refers to as her ‘rebirth,’ in Sandalwood, and much more.
“After my Kannada debut, I went through a difficult phase in life. People would make fun of me behind my back, and there were days I would cry alone for hours. However, with no formal acting course, I headed to other film industries, and fortunately the Malayalam film industry accepted me with open arms from word go. Apart from popular actors like Mammootty and Mohanlal, I knew nothing about Malayalam, but I got to learn so many things which became a strong base in my profession,” says Meghana Raj, who is presently busy with films like Bhujanga, Allama and Lakshmana. She is also expecting the release of Hallelujah in Malayalam.
She feels that Rajahuli was definitely a turning point in Kannada. “It was K Manju, the producer who noticed me in Beautiful (one of her biggest successes in Malayalam) and he insisted that I take up the female lead role in Rajahuli.
Initially, I was a bit skeptical about the role after watching the remake, but the director convinced me with a good script and a film that was adapted to regional requirements. No one including Yash expected that it would do great. Since then, I have not looked back,” the hudugi reveals.
On her beautiful role in the periodic film Allama, Meghana says, “When I was offered the role, I had no other choice but to take it. I had to learn Bharatanatyam, and it is not a role where an actor can get up and start performing spontaneously. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity, especially with experienced directors such as Nagabharana Sir who created such magic onscreen. I will never get such a role in the future,” she adds.
Insofar as her weight issues are concerned, she reveals that it was worrisome but luckily since she was busy working in a different industry, and away most of the time, it hardly affected her. “Yes, it was a big issue. People would say that I looked good on screen but they could not cast me as I was bit overweight. It was never an issue in Malayalam films. Now, that I have lost some weight, they ask me if there is something wrong with me? It is just a matter of perception. However, I have decided to not take my weight lightly and plan to stay fit to suit the screen,” says a determined Meghana.
With very supportive parents, the actress thanks them for standing by and encouraging her to take up more work. “Apart from my debut, many people ignore the fact that even we (children of popular actors) go through issues and problems like normal people. In fact, the expectation level is always high in our case. My parents have been a great strength to me. They never forced me into anything, and I have the final say,” says Meghana before signing off.
