In an Exclusive Flashback Podcast with Lehren, Actress Meghna Naidu shares the exciting story behind how she got selected for the hit chartbuster song - Kaliyon Ka Chaman, which was also her starry debut in the Hindi Film Industry. The artist mentions about working in more than 10 movies & dance numbers in numerous languages like Tamil, Telugu Kannada & Bengali. Meghna expresses her love for tennis as a sport & informs about the different ventures she has worked for in India & abroad (U.S.A). Naidu highlights the importance of having a godfather in Bollywood to get a boost in the same & also appreciates the value of talent & hard work in a performer to fulfill his/her goals in the cine-world.
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00:00Kalyon ka chaman jab banta hai, thoda resham lagta hai, thoda shisha lagta hai.
00:09Heere moti jagte hai, thoda sona lagta hai.
00:14Agar mera koi Godfather hota, definitely bahut hi easy hota mujhe.
00:18Agar aap good actor ya actress nahi hai, toh I don't think audience will accept you.
00:23Aapko jo theek lagta hai, wo aap kijiye.
00:26Don't listen to other people around you.
00:29Kyuki wo sirf chadane ka kaam karte hain.
00:31Jab aap downfall mein aa jate hain, koi nahi rahta saath mein.
00:45Iss industry mein basically Kalyon ka chaman se hi shuruaat hui.
00:48In fact, Kalyon ka chaman bhi mujhe ek luck ya opportunity ya jo kya sakte hai, wo kya sakte hai.
00:58Ek dost ke saath mein gayi thi Universal.
01:02She wanted to audition for a music video.
01:06Jab usne audition dene ke liye ho chali gayi thi, tab office mein logon ne mujhe baat ki.
01:14They coaxed me into like, nahi you should drop in your pictures.
01:17Aapka face bahut achha hai.
01:20Aur maine apne photographs chhod diye.
01:22Kyuki college timing ke modelling pictures thiyo mere paas.
01:27So I was like, I dropped in my pictures.
01:31After a week mujhe phone call aaya saying that, aapko select kiya hai, aap aake audition de dijiye.
01:38And we'll take it from there.
01:40Audition de diya aur Radhika Rao was very happy.
01:43Pehle se kuch socha tha ki industry mein aana?
01:47Nahi, in fact, pehle se kabhi nahi socha tha.
01:50I was very happy doing, mein US mein thi coaching kar rahi thi, tennis coaching kar rahi thi.
01:55Kaafi kuch kar rahi thi, in fact, I even worked with Biba.
02:00Abhi toh bahut bada store ho gaya hai.
02:03Unke saath bhi office ka kaam kiya hua hai.
02:07So I've done a lot of other things.
02:09Kabhi yeh nahi socha tha ki, you know, industry mein aungi,
02:12ya modelling karna, ya acting karna.
02:14It just happened, opportunity mili aur mene le liya.
02:17So Kalyon Ka Chaman, Train, Meghna, Naidu, uski baad mein phir kya opportunities aap industry mein tha?
02:23Kalyon Ka Chaman ke baad, mene couple of movies kiye hai.
02:31In fact, mene bahut regional films bhi kiye hai.
02:33So, matlab, not only Bollywood, but mene Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam mein song kiya hua hai.
02:41Bengali film kiye hua hai.
02:43So, matlab, mene sab jagah, you know, acting, acting seekh chukki hoon abhi.
02:47I've become like, you know, I've learnt the ways and I want, matlab, mujhe ek taste chahiye tha sab jagon ka.
02:55Yeh sirf Hindi nahi karna tha.
02:57So I've done that, matlab.
02:59Movies, I think, mene ab tak shayaz hi 10-11 film mein kiye hai.
03:05Kalyon Ka Chaman, aapko main ek frame mil liya tha.
03:09Tag bol rahi chahiye aapke, aap jab bhi bhi jao, toh ek us identity ke sbhaar aapko,
03:13woh pehchaan hi ek ban chuki thi.
03:17Uske sbhaar ek apni identity is industry mein banana.
03:19It was actually tough, like, you know, aapse bhi bol shte hoon, mujhe as an actress,
03:23if bol nahi karna hai, pehchaan nahi, bahut tough hota hai.
03:26Toh woh ek journey kaise naav, uske baujood bhi Meghna, aaj nazar ki nahi aata hai.
03:30In fact, agar mera koi Godfather hota hai, definitely bahut hi easy hota hai mujhe, you know.
03:36But, kyunki main yaar yeh industry se bilkul nahi hoon.
03:42Mene sirf ek music video kiya hua hai.
03:44Aur, film ek ki jo chali nahi.
03:47Matlab, you can't, you can't say ki har film jo aati hai, wo super hit ho jati hai, you know.
03:53Nahi chali, theek hai.
03:55Aur, fir Meghna Naidu ne, doosre, you know, she started concentrating on regional films.
04:00Kyunki wo bhi karna chahati thi.
04:02Aur, aaj, I think it's been four years after Kaliyon Ka Chamman.
04:07Matlab, today, I think ki mujhe wapas aana chahiye.
04:10Aur, isliye, maine do music videos kiye hai.
04:12Jahan se maine shuru kiya tha, wahin par aa gayi ho, you know.
04:15I want to start again.
04:17New, refresh.
04:19Jaise aapne badha raha hai, Godfather.
04:21Talent zaroori hai, yaar toh Godfather?
04:24I think, pehle toh Godfather bahut hi zaroori hai.
04:27Kyunki, frankly speaking, aapka jo ek PR hota hai.
04:31Jo aap, industry mein nahi hokar, you know, you don't get that.
04:35Main bhale hi 10 logon ke paas jaa ke bolungi, Sir, hi, I'm Meghna Naidu.
04:40Par, wo, impact nahi aata hai.
04:42Jab, agar, you know, if I had like an established father, or if I had an established uncle, jo bhi hai.
04:49Aur, unhone jaa ke bola hota ki, yeh Meghna Naidu hai, you know.
04:52She is my, whoever.
04:55Toh, wo ek alag se asar padta hai, you know.
04:58It makes a lot of difference.
05:00Meaning, PR ki zarurat nahi padti, you know.
05:02Papers ki zarurat nahi padti, you know.
05:04Media ki zarurat nahi padti.
05:06It's just always, it's over and done with.
05:08But, jahan tak God, meaning, talent ki, you know.
05:12It's basically that one initial, ek, initial stage jo hai.
05:16Matlab, wo, break dene ka.
05:18I think, Godfathers karte hain, aur phir definitely talent ke upar hi based hain.
05:22Kyuki, agar aap good actor, ya actress nahi hain.
05:25Toh, I don't think audience will accept you.
05:27Okay, talent ki baat kar rahe hain.
05:29Toh, ek actress, ek artist ko, ek performer ko.
05:32Ek, proper, ek, ek, ek, institute se knowledge lekar seekh kar,
05:39ek, usme potentials aata hai, yaar toh phir, wo, khud uske andar hota hai.
05:43I think, khud andar hi hota hai.
05:45Because, you know, aap, haan ji, manlab, I don't say ki, institute is bad.
05:50Matlab, agar mujhe padhai karne hai, toh definitely main school jaake padhungi, you know.
05:56But, wo ek, there is a sense of acting in everyone.
06:01Matlab, hum day to day hi normally act karte hain, you know.
06:05So, I think, institute agar jaayenge toh aap brush ho sakte hain, you know.
06:10You can get polished.
06:12And, that's very good.
06:13Matlab, agar humare haan par institutes hai, where, meaning if I,
06:18okay, I know I'm, I might be a good actress.
06:21But, then if I go to an institute and get polished, I think it's even better for me.
06:26Okay, the director which you'd like to work with, like, in this industry?
06:30Directors that I would like to work with, Peland Nagesh Kukunur,
06:34I think wo ek brilliant director hai.
06:37Matlab, wo, you know, he really can make a good film.
06:42Madhur Bhandarkar hai.
06:44Aur, and definitely all our big time commercial film directors.
06:50Matlab, aap, you know, I want to work with anyone and everyone.
06:54So, aisa matlab, agar mai bolte raungi toh shayadi ek badi list ban jayegi.
07:05Aap se ek request karenge, Kaliyon Ka Shaman jo hai,
07:08pata ki you're a good singer or a bad singer, like, two lines of this song.
07:13Oh my God, you're making me sing.
07:16Kal yeh hi discussion ho rahi thi, hum sab,
07:19hum, wo Mir Brothers baithe thi, Mikka baithe thi, Sanobar,
07:24aur abhi Shefali is also learning singing.
07:26Toh matlab, all the singers were sitting there and I was sitting there and be like,
07:31kaise hai, I can never sing.
07:36Aapne abhi bola ki, aapka career shuru hua, filmi career,
07:41Bollywood ka career shuru hua with Kaliyon Ka Shaman,
07:45and then you were diverted from regional stuff.
07:48Ab aap bol rahe ho ki aap comeback bhi kar rahe ho,
07:51and you're trying to re-do that.
07:53Toh, you think that there were some things you didn't do the first time,
07:58which you would like to do now.
08:00Change in jo chahe aapka.
08:02Actually, in fact, ab jo pehle, I think I, you know, took it very easy.
08:08Ki matlab, haan, theek hai, ho jayega.
08:10Ab wo attitude nahi rakha.
08:12I'm like, agar hum work karenge towards something, only tab ho jayega.
08:16You know, wo ek attitude change kiya hai.
08:18Mai logon se kabhi nahi multi thi.
08:21In fact, I never would speak to anybody or meet anybody,
08:26jahan tak kaam, kaam ka sawal hai.
08:29I think wo ek attitude bhi change kiya ho hai.
08:32Ab jaake mai logon se milungi and say that,
08:34okay, I'm here, you know, I would like to work with you.
08:38I don't think kaam, you know, it's like,
08:41I've realized that kaam maangne se, you know, it's not a bad thing.
08:45If you want to do it, you do it.
08:47So, that's the only thing.
08:48Matlab, wo choti-choti changes, actually, bade-bade changes,
08:51when I, you know, I've got back.
08:54Acha, aapse doosra yeh pooshna tha ki, off-camera aapse bhi baad bhi thi,
08:58aapne bola tha ki, aapka jo sabse bada issue raha hai,
09:02iss industry mein, wo yeh hai ki,
09:04bahut saare logon ko bahut tarikon se handle karna hai.
09:08Toh kuch experiences aap batayenge, like,
09:11kaise, matlab, what new experiences you had?
09:14I think sabse bada experience ya sabse bada example would be
09:19from my downfall from Kaliyon Ka Chaman to,
09:22you know, the movies that I've done.
09:24Kyunki, frankly speaking, I didn't have anybody to back me,
09:29matlab, koi aisa aadmi nahi tha ki, you know,
09:32aake mujhe kahe ki, you know,
09:33bita yeh galat hai, yeh mat karo, you know.
09:36Sab yeh hi aake kahe the, wah, kya baat hai,
09:39yeh sahi hai, yeh karo, yeh sahi hai, yeh karo.
09:42So, you know, I had about 100 people around me saying that,
09:46boss, aap jo kar rahe ho, wo theek hai,
09:48matlab, you know, like, phukat ka chadhana.
09:51You know, that's what I mean.
09:52And usme se, you know, we had some stupid people
09:56who would like, you know, pass, make remarks or whatever, whatever.
10:00So, it was that, meaning yeh sabse bada example to yeh hi keh sakti.
10:03Matlab, aaj aake, matlab, after four years,
10:06I have realized that, you know, whatever you think is,
10:10you know, aapko jo theek lagta hai, wo aap kijiye.
10:13Matlab, don't, don't listen to other people around you.
10:16Kyunki, wo sirf chadhana ka kaam karte,
10:18jab aap downfall mein aa jaate, koi nahi rahata saath mein.
10:21Acha, sorry.
10:23Aap, jitna, matlab, I have seen you in this last 15 minutes.
10:28Aap, you seem to come from a background which is academically oriented.
10:33Like, you can say, some people who wouldn't relate to the industry.
10:38And, aapka waise bhi yeh tha, ki aap tennis khaate the.
10:43Like, you were into a very sportive environment.
10:46And then, you are in this industry,
10:48jahaan pe log kuch bhi kar dete hain, just to be in the limelight,
10:52just to grab someone else's role.
10:54And, particularly, kyunki aap, us genre mein se,
10:57aapne apna career shuru kiya, jo shayad chaat saar pehle just ubhar raha tha.
11:01Music industry, where woman is projected as the main symbol.
11:06Matlab, singer ko bhi log bhool jaate hain,
11:08pehle ki, wo, jo ladki hai, usko yaad rakhta hain.
11:11Toh, what did you have to face after this?
11:14Matlab, jaise aapne khud bataya that, you know,
11:16aapne ek downfall shuru hogaya uske baad se, unfortunately.
11:19Toh, matlab, was it tough for you to handle all this?
11:23Coming from a background, you can't, you know,
11:27it might not be possible for you to do things, jo doosre karte hain.
11:32Nahi, infact, luckily, mera ek family background itna strong hai.
11:39Matlab, agar, jab maine Kalyon Ka Chaman kiya tha,
11:42even then they were like, you know, backbones to me.
11:45Jab, you know, when things didn't go right,
11:48jab mujhe, matlab, apne, you know, decisions lene pade,
11:51and, you know, I had to, like, I was in a state,
11:54jahaan par, when people would ask me certain thing,
11:59and I would probably wanted to cry.
12:01Ki, matlab, aapne aisa kyu kiya?
12:03Aur, main bol, and I would feel like shit, you know.
12:06I don't want to answer these questions, you know.
12:09Aur, ek aisa phase tha, jahaan par, matlab,
12:12har journalist, har media wale, har mujhe,
12:15sir ek hi question pooste the, all the time.
12:17So, you know, I had to go through that whole phase again.
12:20But, again, because ek family background backing ke wajah se,
12:26you know, I had my head on the shoulders.
12:28I said, no, you know, no matter what happens,
12:32I still have to fight.
12:34And that's why I've come back.
12:35Matlab, yeh nahi kaungi ki, matlab, haan,
12:37I've come to a point where, you know,
12:39I can throw my own tantrums or whatever.
12:42No, I have started again.
12:44I have restarted again.
12:45So, I want to do my best right now.
12:48Matlab, aaj agar main, kuch karna chaungi to,
12:51shayad hi best karna chaungi.
12:53Nahi, yaar toh main ghar mein baith jaao ek saal ke liye,
12:56main koi kaam nahi karu.
12:57But, I want to do a good job.
13:00Kaliyon ka chaman, jab banta hai,
13:04thoda resham lagta hai,
13:07thoda sheesha lagta hai,
13:09heere mooti jagte hai,
13:12thoda sona lagta hai.
13:14Bas, itna hi.