Meenakshi Chaudhary on her Guntur Kaaram co-star Mahesh Babu: ‘Couldn’t take my eyes off him’

In an exclusive chat with HT, Meenakshi Chaudhary opens up about why she said yes to Guntur Kaaram, her co-star Mahesh Babu, her upcoming work and more.

Miss India 2018 runner-up and actor Meenakshi Chaudhary is on cloud nine when we catch up with her. Her career is going great guns after all. She’s beginning the year with the release of Trivikram Srinivas’ Guntur Kaaram with Mahesh Babu on January 12 and has a great line-up of films in Tamil and Telugu. “I’m exhausted but also grateful to be at this stage of my career,” she tells us, having just shot for The Greatest of All Time with Vijay in Chennai. “Every day is a blessing,” she adds. In a freewheeling and exclusive chat with Hindustan Times, she opens up about everything from her upcoming release to celebrating Lohri. Excerpts.

Meenakshi Chaudhary gets candid about her career(Instagram)

Meenakshi Chaudhary with her Miss India crown(Instagram)

‘It’s gonna be a great 2024’

Meenakshi is currently juggling work in Chennai and Hyderabad, which means catching a lot of red-eye flights, keeping track of the nuances of each character she plays and more. Ask her how she’s coping and she replies, “I am grateful I have such good work coming my way so early in my career. I am shooting for three films now…so much is happening but my life is exactly how I wanted it. 2024 is gonna be a great year for me, I just know it. I just want to remember to take a pause, breathe and go on vacations.”

When I competed in Miss India, I thought I’d opt for civil services after, and being where I am now was never the plan. Acting was a big leap of faith and now I cannot imagine doing anything else.

Mahesh and Meenakshi in a still from Guntur Kaaram

‘Guntur Kaaram is a fun film’

The actor calls Guntur Kaaram “a treat” while talking about it. Ask her to elaborate and she says, “Both Mahesh and Trivikram are so celebrated, I think this film will be a treat for their fans. Working with them was at the top of my wishlist, and the experience was everything I had imagined. I hope I get the chance to work with them both again,” she says. Ask her what about playing Raji, a village belle, intrigued her and she chimes, “Honestly, I said yes just to work with them. Certain films you do for the experience of it and this was it for me.”

Guntur Kaaram is the perfect Sankranthi film. It’s made to watch with your loved ones. It has everything you’d want from a festive film. It’ll leave you laughing, crying and just feeling warm.

‘I was dazed by Mahesh’

Meenakshi almost gets giddy when she talks about Mahesh. “I was so nervous on day one,” she giggles. But why, we ask and she says, “I am such a fan girl. I was so dazed, that I couldn’t take my eyes off him. I was star-struck but he was very understanding. (laughs)” How did she finally manage then? “Mahesh is such a gentleman, he made sure I was comfortable. I took my time to give it my all. The best part is that he’s like that with everyone…the whole cast and crew,” she adds.

This is Mahesh’s film through and through. He hasn’t been seen on-screen since 2022 and it’ll be a treat for his fans. The film is massy and quite engaging.

Vijay with Meenakshi at the launch of GOAT

‘I like to experiment with my roles’

Meenakshi has numerous projects lined up and she says they’re a mix of contemporary and period films. “I have Lucky Bhaskar with Dulquer Salman that’s a super fun and lovely story. I’m shooting for GOAT with Vijay right now, every day on set is a blast,” she says, adding, “I also have Matka with Varun Tej and an untitled film with Vishwak Sen. I am doing a little bit of everything because I like to experiment with my roles.”

It’s key for me to resonate with my character or storyline. I also keep in mind that it’s something I would go to the theatre to watch. I don’t want to be boxed in a certain space and want to keep growing as an actor.

Sankranthi Files

“It has been more than three years since I could return home to celebrate any festival with my family. I’m from Punjab so we’re big on Lohri. But this year, I want to experience how Telangana celebrates the festival with pooja, delicious food and a movie. I’ll head to the theatres to see how fans enjoy Guntur Kaaram,” she said.

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