Ravanasura actress Megha Akash: I am still a shy girl but I shed my inhibitions in front of the camera | Exclusive

Megha Akash barely passed out of college while she dreamt of a career in advertising and got to work in films by chance. She was a natural in front of the camera but it took her a few years to come to terms with the ramifications of fame. Fortunately, both her parents - Akash Raja and Bindu Akash - who made a career out of advertising knew what their daughter was getting into and kept her feet on the ground.

It’s perhaps why Megha was largely insulated by the uncertainties, highs and lows in cinema in the early stages of her career. Six years into donning the grease paint, she’s more aware, secure and draws a firm line between her career and life off the camera. In Hyderabad to promote her next Telugu release Ravanasura, the Enai Noki Paayum Thota actress engages in a tete-a-tete with OTTplay.com

Dealing with fame, uncertainty in films immediately after college:

Honestly, I was a very practical person. My mum had already told me that this is how films work. Regardless of their line of work, everybody goes through struggles and only because it’s cinema, ours' catch the eye of the public. My family and friends don’t make me feel I’m an actor.

On her support system - family and friends:

My near and dear ones don’t give me special treatment and identify me as a regular girl they’ve known from school. It’s of great help to me because it distances me from my issues at work, I can cut it off and go home. We don’t discuss work or ponder over aspects beyond our control; there’s no overthinking. I have a separate world away from cinema, I enjoy being there and that’s my support system.

Studying visual communication, dreaming of a career in advertising and films:

Both my parents belong to the advertising arena; even I was to be a part of it and films happened by chance. For me, being happy is more important than anything else. Spending time with friends, family and work are equally significant for me. If I’m doing a project, I want to give my 100% to it. Visual communication was an excuse for me to get into advertising.

I have been and am still an introverted, shy girl but I shed my inhibitions in front of the camera. That’s the only time I’m somebody else. When people say I play vivacious characters, just like my off-screen persona, I beg to differ. In real life, I barely react or express; I’m blank-faced and you can’t guess what I’m thinking. In films, your expressions are transparent and I like being in someone else’s shoes.

Mum’s word about a career in cinema and the similarities/differences between ads and feature filmmaking:

She always told me that the highs and lows that I face will be in front of the public. Beyond hard work, if timing and luck are not on your side, she told me a career in cinema wasn’t going to work. I was always mentally prepared for everything. Moreover, I was clear that I wanted a balance in life; I don’t want work to consume me or talk movies day and night.

I like travelling, going on adventures and there are a lot of other aspects of life I enjoy. The worlds of advertising and movies are similar and different at the same time. The madness is the same; the technicalities are different. Given I was exposed to advertising early, I felt at ease being on set.

Hard to forge friendships in the industry:

I’ll admit it’s tough to forge friendships and relationships in this industry, it’s hard to understand what’s real and what’s not. It’s not easy. Not everything/everyone may be genuine and you need to be wary. Moreover, most of the people in the industry don’t have the time to invest in friendships. Even otherwise, I take a long time to be friends with someone.

Dealing with insecurities within the industry, social media:

Being someone who isn’t natural in putting myself out there, there are hundreds who capture your images - you’re not going to look great from all angles. With the same image, people come up with different, contrasting responses. It took me some time to understand that it doesn’t matter what everybody thinks of me - they don’t know me and ultimately, everyone will have an opinion about everything under the sun. Out of a 100, at least 90 people give me love. Over the years, I’ve learnt to filter social media hatred; I don’t even look at it. I only notice the love and give it back as much as I can.

‘Don’t think I’m restricted to a certain kind of roles’

I think I’m being offered a wide variety of roles. I am pumped up about my part in Santhanam’s Vadakkupatti Ramasamy. My first ever film was Oru Pakka Kathai, where I played a young girl who gets pregnant; I was barely 19 when I got it. When I came into the industry, I was prepared to not take up the quintessential heroine roles. The roles coming my way in the last couple of years have truly got me excited; hopefully, I’ll get more of them in the longer run.

Being part of team Ravanasura:

Sudheer Varma brought me on board for Ravanasura. I liked the story on the whole and thought my role threw a unique challenge at me. I haven’t been offered such a part before and I waited for a couple of days to say yes to it. It took me time to understand its world, I was confused because I didn’t hear a script like that before. I was very surprised that a star like Ravi Teja agreed to be a part of it.

On working with director Sudheer Varma:

He is a very confident filmmaker and knows exactly what he wants. He has a clear head and is extremely patient. On my first day of the shoot, when I wasn’t able to deliver dialogues correctly, Sudheer calmed my nerves and gave me enough time to bounce back. It’s a relief to find a filmmaker who puts you in a comfort zone and helps you give your best.

Playing Harika and associating with Ravi Teja:

I play a rich, classy girl Harika. There are various shades to the character and it came with a good mix of comedy, romance and intensity. It wasn’t easy to adapt to the variations and I can assure you it’s a crucial role; the shoot was an absolute joyride. Ravi Teja, despite being a major star, was game to rehearse difficult scenes and lengthy dialogues with me and I enjoyed the break time when he opened up extensively about his experiences. I found him very sensible and he remains the same, unaffected by success or failure.

What can one expect from Ravanasura?

In a nutshell, the film is best summarised with its tagline - Heroes don’t exist. The film has various interesting twists and turns and there are surprises when you least expect them. Audiences are in for a rollercoaster ride of thrills. I have a few combination sequences with Faria (Abdullah) and Pujita (Ponnada) as well and among the songs, Veyyinnokka Jillalu is a personal favourite. We have been strictly asked not to discuss anything more.

On the pressure of dealing with a biggie:

It’s not a pressure to deal with a big film because the hero takes that burden. It’s a lot of stress taken off me. If there’s a female-centric film that runs on my shoulders, I’ll probably feel the pinch. The team of Ravanasura has made this a fun exercise and they haven’t got me tensed/pressurised; I am as relaxed as ever.

On her mom’s move to present Maate Manthramu (with Rahul Vijay) :

It was my mum’s decision and when she told me, I wanted her to go ahead with it. She’s been into ad-film direction and production for many years and this was another extension to her line of work. It’s just that she has come to a different arena away from ads.