We noticed her on the ramp at the Prasad Bidapa Model Hunt recently and felt she looked very familiar. It took us a while to place her but this was the same gorgeous girl from the Netflix film Friday Night Plan and more recently, Love In The Air. Medha Rana is a proud Bengaluru girl who is now making it super big in Bollywood. We catch up with her to talk about her foray into this industry, her blossoming body of work, her Bengaluru connection, what she envisages for herself as an actress and so much more!
Let’s start at the very beginning: how did you get into the world of modelling and eventually into films?
I was pretty much scouted by Prasad Bidapa himself. This was a very, very random incident. I was at a shopping mall in Chandigarh at the time and I was with my parents and I would have been, I think, 13. We happened to go to this store where a little fashion show was being organised. I had obviously no idea about what that entire world entails. But then, I happened to meet Prasad and he told my parents that I should, work with him and get into this field. My parents took it very casually. But fate had its way and my dad got posted to Bengaluru right after Chandigarh. He’s in the army. We then moved to the city and I thought to myself: why don’t I explore this side of the world also? So, when I was 16, I started working with Prasad and there was no turning back after that. One thing led to another. I moved to Mumbai to take this career seriously as I was now sure I wanted to be an actor and then I bagged London Files. It happened through an audition, through a very random audition, where the team happened to like me and then they called me a few more times and we did a bunch of more rounds of auditions and workshops before it was finally confirmed.
And your body of work as an actor, so far?
London Files was my first show, which I shot for in 2022 and in 2023, I worked on a film called Friday Night Plan, which is on Netflix. So that would technically be like my movie debut. My most recent work is the one I shot with Shantanu Maheshwari, titled Ishq In The Air, a series which just released on Amazon Prime Video.
How was it working on Ishq In The Air ?
I had a lot of fun working with Shantanu. He’s a very experienced actor. He’s been in the field for more than 10 years, he’s also a dancer, very spontaneous as a guy and as an actor. I got to learn a lot from that. Everybody on set, including our director and the entire team, was super fun, very supportive and encouraging throughout. I had a blast!
Do you think there’s a connection between army upbringings and the possibility of ending up in front of the camera — it’s so common these days?
Yes, I definitely think that the upbringing and the way of life that we’re brought up with has a lot to do with how we just turn out to be, how we view the world and how we interact with people. Because we adapt to change very quickly. You have a stronger understanding of people and cultures and different kinds of work ethics from an earlier age on. You also have a better sense of yourself, because you’ve seen yourself in all these environments, so you just grow up to become a more self-assured person and therefore more confident to be in front of the camera.
So, where did you study in Bengaluru?
I was in Army Public School. I did my 10th, 11th and 12th there and then I went to Christ University. I studied business. I did a BBA and specialised in finance and marketing.
Tell us about your skincare and haircare routines?
I stick to very basic routines, even when it comes to fitness. For hair, I just sit with my mom and oil my hair once a week. For skin care — it’s a very simple, a very basic face wash, moisturiser and sunscreen. I ensure that I cleanse my face often, at least two — three times a day. Apart from that, I use homemade face packs that my mother makes using coffee, dahi etc.
What’s your personal sense of style?
I am very, very casual. I am also very sporty. So on a regular, random day, you’ll definitely see me in sneakers, jeans and maybe like a ganji or a crop top or a white shirt with a bag. That’s just me all the time. I used to really enjoy dressing up when I was in school. But I guess when I started modelling, when that transition happened, when I had to dress up in extremes, when I had to go to work — then my whole desire of wanting to look a certain way and just presenting myself a certain way got satiated. So in normal life, I’m just going to dress down, be myself and be basic.
Are you into sports?
Yes, I’ve grown up playing basketball and tennis; and I’m also into swimming. Now, I stick to yoga and boxing.
What kind of roles would you like to do, going forward?
So, honestly, right now, at this stage in my career, I don’t want to restrict myself by saying that I want to be a certain kind of an actor. I want to be known as an artiste who can be moulded and shaped into any character. I am at that stage right now where I really want to go out there and explore everything, even if it’s a negative role, even if it’s a sports person or like a full-fledged action film. I am honestly open to everything at the moment.
Your favourite Navaratri memory?
I remember this one time when my dad was posted in Ahmedabad. For those two years consecutively, we went all out for Navaratri. We did like, literally, every celebration!
What vegetable do you think you resemble the most and why?
I think I could be a lauki (bottle gourd) because I really love lauki.
One place that you would like to escape to right now?
I really want to go to the Masai Mara.
One actress, across time, who is a huge inspiration to you?
Right now, it’s Emma Stone. I really look up to her.
And in India?
It has to be Anushka Sharma.
And finally, an actor that you would like to act opposite?
Shah Rukh Khan.
Ishq In The Air Season 1 is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Email: romal@newindianexpress.com
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