A memorable journey so far

From her first film ‘Seetharamaiah Gaari Manavaraalu’, which won her a Nandi award until now, her comeback film, ‘Drishyam’, actress Meena has many memories to share

She debuted as a child artiste after she was discovered at a birthday party by legendary actor Sivaji Ganesan. Meena, the actress with large expressive eyes who imbues life into the character she portrays, has acted alongside all the superstars of the south since emerging as one of the top heroines of the 1990’s. In film after film she came across as the simple girl next door with strong positive characters that warmed your heart and left an indelible impression. Telugu audience remember her for a variety of roles that called for mature acting that seemed tailor-made for her. The peppy girl who wins over her unrelenting grandfather with her endearing ways in ‘Seetharamaiah Gaari Manavaralu’, the protected sister in ‘Chanti’ the innocent housewife in ‘Sundarakanda’, the renowned poetess and devotee ‘Tarigella Vengamamba’ are but just few of the many characters she essayed with relative ease and subtle charm. The actress who has acted in more than 200 films in Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Tamil says she has imbibed something new from each film. After her marriage in 2009 and the arrival of her daughter Nayanika in 2011 the actress is excited about her comeback film ‘Drishyam’ in Telugu which is based on a Malayalam film of the same name.

The film was her come-back in Malayalam too and was a great hit prompting super star Mohanlal to say that she had chosen a perfect film to make her presence felt once again. “We come across a film like this very rarely. It is funny, light hearted, serious, emotional and suspense-filled. The family bonding in the film is so great that everyone who sees the film will want to have a family like that. It also has a strong message that children should not be scared of their parents no matter what and should share things with them,” says Meena whose character in the film is very close to her heart. Her role is that of a strong, innocent and emotional woman who loves shopping just like she does ...in real life, she adds with a laugh. “There was no awkwardness while shooting despite being away from the camera. But I am definitely impressed by the tremendous improvement in technology. While earlier we had to be aware of every minute happening on the set; now you can just concentrate on your acting skills. In fact my co-star in the film Venkatesh and I talked about this while shooting at Araku for ‘Drishyam’. We were in the same location in Araku as we had been during the making of the film “‘Sundarakanda’, the same hero... heroine...... and a similar rain shot. While in the past we had to wait anxiously during the shoot, trying to avoid getting drenched, this time around we were comfortably sitting in our caravan.... till we resumed shooting; superior technology reduces the actors anxiety a great deal.”

Meena recalls her association with Telugu films fondly beginning with her first film ‘Seetharamaiah Gaari Manavaraalu’, which won her a Nandi award from the state government. She says she was fortunate to star with a legend like Akkineni Nageswara Rao, who apart from making her very comfortable on the sets gave her the invaluable advice “You can wait for anyone on the sets but never make anyone wait for you”. She remembered the great actor once again when she saw his film ‘Manam’ recently which she thought was a wonderful tribute to him. This point on punctuality is something which the late Shivaji Ganesan used to make subtly she says. “Shivaji Sir used to report on the sets half an hour before the time of shoot. If the shooting was at 7am he would be there by 6.30..... and wish the director who would saunter in half an hour late with a “Good morning Sir”... his hand going up in a salute”...” Working with someone like him, Superstar Rajinikanth and Malayalam actors Mammotty and Mohanlal one learnt many lessons about sincerity, dedication and discipline which is the reason why they have been at the top for such a long time, says Meena who has always been reserved on the sets. She generally kept to herself always reading books between the shots; an avid reader she likes to read anything interesting that she can get her hands on.

It was this love for reading that led her to pursue her education privately after she had to discontinue studies in class eight due to her hectic schedule as a child artiste. However despite her busy career and the fame that came with it she not only completed her BA but went on to do her post graduation in History. “I always loved studying and wanted to join the IFS if my education was undisturbed. I decided to get a degree for my own personal happiness despite carving a special place for myself in films” says Meena.

From cutting private albums (she says she no longer sings) to being a judge on reality shows and hosting programmes on the small screen the actress who is a natural in front of the camera says her life has changed completely after marriage and motherhood. Stating that her husband teases her about her movie roles but is very supportive, she feels being a mother is the most difficult of all jobs.

“Earlier I used to think my shooting schedules are the most gruelling and tough but after the arrival of my daughter I realise that all that is nothing compared to the job of being a mother. It changes all your priorities.” She avers. As for future roles she says she will look at film projects only if the scripts are interesting enough to lure her out of her domestic bliss. The actress, whose journey has been eventful so far, looks forward to providing the “very best” for her little daughter who is the centre of her existence.