Going up on the memory lane
Meenakshi Chaudhary began her career far from the film world—she was a dentist. Awaiting reviews for her new thriller, Lucky Baskhar, she recalls the dramatic transition, “I think it was mostly destiny. I was always drawn to science, and biology was my favourite subject. So medicine felt right. This industry found me by chance, not something I had planned.” The Telugu period crime thriller, which released on October 31, is set in the ’80s, and follows the success story of the titular banker. Meenakshi essays the role of Sumati Khuda, Baskhar’s wife.
“The storyline of Lucky Baskhar hooked me immediately. When Venky Atluri, the director, narrated it, I fell in love with my character. I think audiences will carry Sumati with them long after the credits have rolled,” feels the actor, who is starring in the project opposite Dulquer Salmaan.
Lucky Baskhar is not Meenakshi’s first rodeo. She has shared screen space with Mahesh Babu in Guntur Kaaram and Vijay in The GOAT. “Mahesh sir has this natural humility; he’s a gentleman through and through. Vijay sir, on the other hand, is reserved, but what he says has deep logic. Both are incredibly disciplined and persistent people. I think these qualities have made them the icons they are.”
Before taking the plunge into acting, Meenakshi participated in beauty pageants; she was crowned Femina Miss India Grand International 2018. Her move to films was from her home state, Haryana, which made the transition into Telugu cinema expectedly challenging. Since her debut film Ichata Vahanamulu Niluparadu in 2021, Chaudhary has starred in Tamil films such as Kolai and Singapore Saloon.
She admits to have become linguistically quite agile. Her background in medicine came in handy. “I never saw language as an obstacle; it’s more like learning something new, which I enjoy. My medical background helped me a lot here—I can memorise things quickly, which came in handy when I started working in Tamil and Telugu,” explains the 27-year-old.
In her brief career, Meenakshi has understood the need for versatility, and has already explored a range of genres, including thriller, drama and romance. “Being an actor is something I don’t take for granted. For example, stepping into period dramas like Lucky Baskhar and Matka was a challenge since they’re set in times I’ve not personally experienced.
That took extra effort. In Venkatesh’s Sankranti Vasthunnam, slated for release in January 2025, I’m doing action scenes for the first time, and the upcoming Mechanic Rocky stretched me thin with its intense comic timing.” She adds, “There isn’t a single type of role I want to be known for. I think it’s every actor’s dream to explore multiple genres, and I’d love audiences to see me through a variety of lenses.”