‘Hard to match Vijay’s energy while dancing’: 'The Greatest of All Time (GOAT)' actor Meenakshi Chaudhary
Meenakshi Chaudhary’s belief in manifestations strengthened when she landed a role in the Vijay-starrer, The Greatest of All Time (GOAT) - one of her major milestones after becoming the first runner-up at the Femina Miss Indian pageant in 2018, which too was her manifestation since she was a young girl. “I have manifested almost everything in my life. When I had just started in the industry, I made a list of actors with whom I wanted to work and Vijay sir was on the top,” she shares.
In this conversation about GOAT, Meenakshi Chaudhary speaks about sharing screen space with Vijay, Venkat Prabhu’s unique approach, her career goals and more.
Excerpts:
How did you get this opportunity? Did you audition for the role?
I did a look test for Vijay sir’s Varisu, but things did not materialise. Of course, the team had my photos from that look test. When Venkat Prabhu sir was finalising the casting for GOAT, he came across my look test images that featured me in a no-makeup look. I got a call from his office and flew down from Mumbai only for him to see if I looked the same in person. He then picked me to play Srinidhi.
How did Venkat Prabhu initially describe Srinidhi to you?
Venkat Prabhu sir did not provide details of the role until a few days before we started filming. I loved that Srinidhi is a very modern, vivacious girl who lives in the moment. The best part about this film is that there are so many characters and the story revolves around these multiple characters.
What was the one striking quality in Vijay you observed?
The one thing that I have seen in Vijay sir which I have so far not seen in anybody else is his calmness. He’s always in zen mode even when things are chaotic around him. He will find a chair and just sit there waiting for everything to fall into place. I have often seen big actors wait in their vanities when everything is arranged. But Vijay sir would sit right there and give the crew enough time to set up. He only went back to his caravan for lunch.
To act alongside Vijay is one thing. How was it to dance alongside the actor?
He’s such a great dancer. I had to practice repeatedly and still I would forget the steps sometimes. He would just come on the dance floor and perform it perfectly as soon as the camera started rolling. I had to work very hard to match Vijay sir’s energy level while dancing.
What did you find unique about Venkat Prabhu’s directorial style?
I love the fact that he can be relatable to everyone right from the oldest person to the youngest person on sets. I’m a huge fan of his work because it’s very unique. What he does is very out of the ordinary and there’s always something new and fresh that he brings to the table. There’s always something unique and very out of the ordinary that he’ll pick up, something only he can think of. To be able to shoot with such a big cast and make sure that every character is given importance considering their respective experience and filmography is difficult, but he has pulled it off very efficiently.
Given that you have been getting such big opportunities, like GOAT, Guntur Kaaram, etc., what are your career goals going forward?
I’m working on myself and improving with every film that I do. I’ve always looked up to all the people who have been there in the industry be it Anushka Shetty, Nayanthara, or Trisha, all of them have been here for such a long time and they have done some amazing work. I would also love to have all of that come to me as well and be a part of some amazing films that fans will remember.
Written by Jayabhuvaneshwari B
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