Made in India
S. SHIVA KUMARWith her head on her shoulders, Meghana has managed to navigate her way from America to Kannada films and landed a super hit debut in Venkata In Sankata |
MAKING OF MEGHANA She was picked from an acting school for her debut role
Meghana is the new girl on the block. Born and brought up in the USA, and with a degree in economics, she is a Kannadiga to the core. It is her American twang that gives her away. Her baptism by grease paint was easy simply because she worked with one of the most respected personalities in Kannada cinema — Ramesh Arvind — in his “Venkata In Sankata”. It was not a significant role, but she was noticed and is now doing an international film called “Bangalored”. It’s an NRI’s take on the city that is transforming constantly. The irony is that she wouldn’t have got this film if she hadn’t acted in a Kannada film.
Excerpts from an interview:
Most Indians abroad seem to have a condescending attitude towards Indian cinema.
I disagree. It is partly true but I also find a lot of Indians here who have a condescending attitude towards their films. A lot of my friends and peers love Indian films. We grew up on them. I was fortunate to visit here often and connected with the traditions and values. I liked the songs and dance. The aesthetics are different but I was able to identify with it. I wouldn’t generalise.
Did a career in cinema draw you to India?
I have always been drawn to India culturally. The town I grew up in did not have too many Indian families but at home, it was an integral part. We spoke Kannada at home, ate Indian food and grew up on a diet of Indian films.
So coming to India was always exciting. I did not do anything related to films in college, but the interest was latent. It seemed like a good time to come here and give it a try.
So it was not just your roots that pulled you here?
I definitely wanted to try cinema but was also sure that I wanted to spend a part of my life here. Films are a priority. If it hadn’t worked out, I would have tried something else. Being here is of primary importance. Even when it came to acting, I always wanted to do Indian films. Kannada made sense because I’m basically from here.
How did you go about knocking on people’s doors?
I’m fortunate that a lot of my people are here and my extended family knew some folks in the industry. It was by word of mouth. I met as many people as I could.
Everyone was kind and one piece of advice that I got was to undergo an acting course here.
I did a crash course at AS Murthy’s school. I got to meet a lot of people who visited there. Ramesh also came there and it so happened that he was going to start “Venkata In Sankata”.
Was it an ideal launch pad considering you did not have anything substantial to do?
I think it was an ideal launch pad because it was a movie with a reputed director and was a great place to learn the ropes. The banner was new, but they were incredibly professional.
I was happy with my role because it was my first time in front of the camera. People associate me with the film and it has led people to notice me.
For someone coming in without any background, it was a nice launch pad.
Have you been able to objectively appraise your performance in the film?
I have a long way to go. I have a lot to learn but it was a good start. People complimented me, which means I was able to pick out what the director expected of me.
Has the film paid off?
Well “Venkata…” got released first, but I was working on another film “Shishira”, which will get released in the next couple of months. I have been getting offers in Kannada and other language films. The next film I’m doing is an international project, which is very interesting.
Is the film industry as bad as it is made out to be?
I don’t think so. It is like any other. You have got very good people and some with other motives. If you have got your head on your shoulders, you can navigate through anything.
I have been very fortunate. All the people I have interacted with have been very kind and encouraging.
I saw you working very hard at the rehearsals for the ‘Mahotsav’ celebrations. Did you get to bond with your future colleagues?
That was an incredible experience. For someone who had barely shown up it was great to interact with the who’s who in the industry.
It was like a dream. It is nice because I can now call up someone like Ravichandran and he’ll remember me. That is amazing. It was an honour to be a part of it.
Are you here to stay?
Yes definitely. I am happy and positive about the future.
No comments:
Post a Comment