When Meenakshi Chaudhary became the first runner-up at the Femina Miss Indian pageant in 2018, she shared in an interview that she has been manifesting the Miss India crown ever since she was a young girl. Six years later, the actor says that she has once again manifested her role in the latest Vijay-starrer, The Greatest of All Time (GOAT). “I'm a huge believer in manifestations, and I have manifested almost everything in my life. When I had just started in the industry, I made a list of actors whom I wanted to work with and Vijay sir's name was there on the top,” she shares, calling the opportunity a real “dream come true.”
In this conversation about GOAT, Meenakshi Chaudhary speaks about manifestations, dancing with Vijay, the unique quality of Venkat Prabhu and more.
EXCERPTS:
How did you get this opportunity? Did you audition for the role?
I actually did a look test for Vijay sir’s Varisu, but things did not materialise back then. 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 very simple no-makeup look. I remember getting a call from his office and flying 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 disclose any details up until a few days before we started filming. I love that Srinidhi is very modern, vivacious and a living-in-the-moment sort of girl. The best part about this film is that there are so many characters and the story drives around these multiple characters.
What was one unique quality you observed about Vijay?
I think the one thing that I have seen in Vijay sir which I have so far not seen in anybody else is the calmness that he has. He’s always in zen mode even when there is so much noise and chaos happening 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 that he can talk to the oldest person and the youngest person on sets, and he will be able to relate with them in some sense. 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.
What is your dream role?
I definitely want to be a part of a sports-related film since I've always been a fan of sports and I've loved watching films that motivate you and inspire you to do more. Considering I am a dentist, I think I should also play a doctor onscreen sometime.