"I love the language and the people that I worked with."
Megna Mukherjee promises to bless the Telugu film industry with her presence.
The young actress is all set to debut in Baraabar Premistha with the star Chandrahass.
Megna is also a Miss India Finalist and a finely trained jazz dancer.
She has also worked with some of India’s leading brands and shown traces of her excellent acting ability in an advert with Sourav Ganguly.
Baraabar Premistha is produced by AVR Movie Wonders and CC Creations. Megna plays Bujji in the movie.
In our exclusive chat, Megna Mukherjee delved into her debut and talked to us about much more.
What inspired you to become an actress?
I am only 23 years old, but when I was 14 or 15, I used to do school plays and used to participate in those.
I don’t come from a film family so of course, I had to find my way to get my first movie or to be a part of Miss India.
When I was 17 or 18, I did something called Times Fresh Face and then a year later, Miss India happened.
During that time, I started doing adverts and I did the viral advert with Sourav Ganguly.
After that, I signed my first film. Somehow, it all happened organically, but I also didn’t know a lot about the film industry.
So, it was all about finding my own way into it and finding ways to be visible.
I think I fell in love with the stage when I was very young, because I loved dancing. So I think that’s how I picked what I wanted to do.
What motivated you to become a jazz dancer?
I started dancing when I was six years old or something. When I was seven, I discovered jazz.
There’s this place called Dance Works in India and they specifically teach jazz.
So I enrolled there and I realised that that is the form of dancing that I prefer.
I also do Kathak but I’ve enjoyed dancing ever since I was six years old.
Can you describe your character and the story in Baraabar Premistha?
It’s my first film and my Telugu debut. In the beginning, I never spoke Telugu so I had to learn the language.
Now, I think I love the language and the people that I worked with.
The film is about two 19-year-olds who are from two villages. It’s a rural set-up, and the villages don’t like each other.
In the beginning, the characters don’t like each other either but then they fall in love.
It’s about overcoming all the obstacles together. You’ll have to watch the movie to know more!
How has it been collaborating with Chandrahass in the film?
He was very helpful. He is from a film family so I think he grew up around film sets.
He has also done a project before this so I learnt a few tips and tricks from him on set.
It was a great experience. I think we became friends through the project, and I think we are looking great onscreen if I may say so.
Not coming from a film family, what is your opinion on all the debates about nepotism and privilege?
When you’re not from the industry, you don’t know a lot about it. In the beginning, you’re just trying to be visible and get your name out there.
When you are a star kid, people already know who you are because of your parents.
Aside from that, the South Indian film industry really believes in beauty and talent and not just your family.
I think they really give opportunities to people who have beauty and talent.
You need to be deserving and work really hard. Being in the right place at the right time is such a big concept in the film industry.
If all these things go right, I think you’ll get what you deserve with time if you are talented.
I honestly don’t think it’s harder for star kids because they do get a larger amount of opportunities compared to an outsider.
Having said that, if the star kids don’t do well in their first few films and the audience doesn’t love them, it doesn’t work.
At the end of the day, you have to be good at what you do and so it doesn’t really matter where or who you come from.
Are there any actors or filmmakers who have inspired you?
In Bollywood, I love Deepika Padukone. My earliest memory of a heroine was of her first film.
I think she looked beautiful in Om Shanti Om (2007). I think she’s super talented and very aspirational.
In the South, I love Prabhas. There’s just something so charismatic about him.
Even in his interviews, he is shy and reserved, but I think he just says the right things and he is magic onscreen.
What genres and projects do you hope to explore in the future?
I have already signed my next film. However, I cannot talk about it just yet.
Honestly, I love the Telugu industry so I’m hoping to do a lot more films there.
I would love to work in the Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam industries as well.
Hindi is my mother language so I’m working on projects in Hindi too.
At this point, I don’t want language to be a barrier. I hope that I can do good roles and roles that suit me.
Could you delve into the recent AI incidents where celebrities are falling prey to deepfake material? What do you think can be done to combat this?
I think social media has given us access to each other, and we can communicate better.
Unfortunately, I think a lot of people are misusing tools like AI.
Especially as a woman, I’ve seen this happen to other actresses.
I don’t think anyone would feel safe when their pictures are misused without information.
I would, of course, urge people not to do it. Because it’s unfair according to me.
I definitely believe legal action should be taken against perpetrators. You must give someone a chance and remove their account.
Their account should be restricted and if they continue to do it, legal action should definitely be taken.
Once is a mistake and twice is a choice. I think anyone who does it more than once should be punished.
Megna Mukherjee is an excellent artist who has proven how multi-faceted she is via her adverts and dance.
As she gears up to arrive on the big screen, the audience can expect a hugely talented actress with enormous potential.
Her wise words about hard work and combatting deepfakes will also inspire countless people.
Talking about Baraabar Premistha, Megna Mukherjee added: “This is a very special project for me indeed and I have put my heart and soul into the character.
“A lot of hard work and efforts have gone into it and given the fact that I am a dreamer who’s dangerously ambitious, I have been waiting for this moment.
“I thank each and every individual who has been a part of this beautiful journey of mine and I thank my director and the production team for having faith in me and having me onboard for this project.
“I am super excited and looking forward to it and I can’t wait for my audience to see this.”
Megna Mukherjee is all set to dazzle and we wish her all the best!
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