Medha Shankar: Exploring a world of acting opportunities
By MOHNISH SINGHSep 01, 2021
EXCITING NEWCOMER DISCUSSES HER PROJECTS SO FAR AND AMBITIOUS PLANS
TALENTED actress Medha Shankar is grateful for all the opportunities that have come her way.
The former model began her acting career with British historical drama television series Beecham House and was most recently seen in Bollywood film Shaadisthan. The film, which also features Kirti Kulhari, premiered directly on streaming media platform Disney+ Hotstar and received a good response.
Eastern Eye caught up with rising star Medha who is set to shine brighter, to talk about acting, her experience of working with Gurinder Chadha, the exciting opportunities for outsiders and how she spent her first paycheque.
You did your graduation from Delhi University and masters from NIFT (National School of Fashion Technology). How did your showbiz journey begin?
After my graduation, I got to audition for a short film and landed the part. I had no knowledge of acting and had never done it before. But when I landed that part, I loved working on that short film. It never released but made me realise I was not bad at it and really like doing it. It’s so fulfilling and such a beautiful experience. So, I decided to give it a try. I didn’t want to live with the regret that I didn’t try. I thought I would rather do it and see than not trying at all.
Did you face any resistance from your family?
I come from a very academically-inclined family, so my father got a huge shock when he came to know I wanted to pursue acting. He was like, ‘What’s wrong with you? You are good at so many other things, why don’t you try them?’ But I handled it very well. I said to him, ‘Papa, please let me do it. Give me some time’. Eventually, I had to complete my masters regardless. While I was pursuing my masters, I started doing modelling in Delhi. I also participated in the Miss India contest.
When did you land in Mumbai?
Once my masters got over, I moved to Mumbai in 2017. I joined a modelling agency and started auditioning. Within three months, I landed Beecham House, which was indeed a big thing because I had just started auditioning and got this huge project with Gurinder Chadha.
Medha Shankar in Beecham House
How was it to work with an internationally acclaimed filmmaker like Gurinder Chadha?
It was very overwhelming. First, I was very new and very naïve when I got that project. It was such a big project and everything was so organised. It had popular Indian actors such as Lara Dutta, Roshan Seth and Tisca Chopra and several other international actors there on the cast. And then there was Gurinder ma’am as the captain of the ship. I experienced a very different kind of learning as an actor, as to how focused and professional people can be. I was like, ‘oh, these people take their job so seriously, they are thorough professionals. They are always on time’. I tried to inculcate all of that in myself. I was like, ‘Okay, this is the kind of person I want to be. I want to reach this level of professionalism. Always be on time and learn my lines well’. It was great working with everyone. Gurinder ma’am brings an infectious energy to sets. It’s fun on sets with her. We two also had a lot a fun together.
What did you like about acting?
I never wanted to become an actor for the glamour or fame. I became an actor because I truly fell in love with the craft. After that my only goal was to achieve that level where I am a working actor, get decently paid for it and make a name for myself. You received a positive response for your performance in the recently released film Shaadisthan.
How did you get that film?
A few months after Beecham House, I got Shaadisthan through auditions. Shaadisthan was another level of experience altogether. Working on a feature film is very different. It was very commercial, a proper Hindi feature film. My character was also challenging.
Did you feel disappointed that your film Shaadisthan did not get a theatrical release and had its premiere on a streaming platform?
Not at all! All lines have blurred between what’s a theatrical release and what’s an OTT release. All theatrical releases are now releasing on streaming media platforms. And thanks to such platforms, they are not only getting a wider release but also gaining more traction and eyeballs. The lines have blurred so much that it does not really matter. As long as your film is getting the kind of audience it deserves, you are good to go. Our film released on a platform like Disney+ Hotstar. I don’t think it could have been better than this. It got such an amazing response. It was received so well. The numbers were really high.
How did you spend your first paycheque from an acting assignment?
I gave it to my dad. I put it in an envelope and went to him and said, ‘Dad, this is for you, for supporting me the way you have’. It was an emotional moment for me. Since I started my career as a model, my first paycheque came through modelling. That cheque also I gave to my parents. I did nothing fancy with it. I did not buy anything.
Do you feel it’s difficult for outsiders to make a mark in the industry?
I think that with the onset of streaming media platforms, there are so many opportunities for everyone. So much work is happening. So many web-shows are being announced every single day. So many new platforms are sprouting up. So, there is a lot of work for a lot of people. These streamers are ready to give a platform to young actors, new directors and writers. I feel it’s really a good time for new actors and people from the outside to try and make their mark. Maybe five years ago there were not many opportunities, but now they are there. I cannot complain because I have really gotten such good projects. So, yes, it is difficult but then nothing comes easy. A 9-5 job is not easy either. It’s a very cut-throat competitive world but if you leave no stone unturned, keep your head high, keep working on yourself and not lose focus, there is no way you won’t get work.
Tell us about your upcoming projects...
I am currently working on a project wherein I play a really interesting character. However, I cannot talk much about it at the moment.
Adrian Lester, best known for his work on television and film, returns to the stage in the eponymous role of Edmond Rostand's 1898 comedy, Cyrano de Bergerac.
Rostland’s play centres around Cyrano - a little-known romantic 17th century French libertine poet, soldier, and philosopher. The play is based partly on his letters written on behalf of his love rival Christian de Neuvillette as he tries to charm Cyrano’s cousin, Roxanne with whom Cyrano is also in love.
Cyrano is cursed with an overt self-consciousness in the form of a large nose. His insecurity is such that he prohibits anyone to refer to it directly or indirectly. Together with his wit, his skills as a swordsman, and the directorial splattering of our own vernacular, they provide the play with a certain infectious - albeit teenage - humour.
Despite Cyrano unexpressed love for Roxanne, the latter has fallen for Christian who is handsome, but useless when it comes to expressing his feelings in words. But then, he is also useless as a swordsman and clearly no match for Cyrano’s mastery and maturity. Realising this and being utterly selfless, Cyrano offers his help to the youthful Christian to woo Roxanne by writing for him poetic and hyperbolic proclamations of love and longing. All he wants is Roxanne to be happy even if he himself has to do with nursing a broken heart.
Christian Patterson and Levi BrownMarc Brenner
The result is a farce of the highest order and mistaken identity, coupled with threat and violence
This RSC production is directed by Simon Evans who has provided a very lively and engaging interpretation by all accounts. Apart from a skilled, highly polished ensemble of cast, there’s interesting theatricality at work. Every now and then, for instance, one gets a sense that the stage is a reflection of our own world and vice versa. Characters mingle with the audience, they break the fourth wall, and the theatre band wander around with the characters and referred to with some bemusement and fun.
In a 17th century French world – not unlike our own, 21st century – external beauty, speech, language are prized. Expression has become almost secondary. It’s a world in which fakery, deception and lies are paced above sincerity, honesty, and truth. Looks and external beauty outweigh the inner beauty of man.
Evans removes the original piece from its French setting to England, littering it with a Brummie accent, and accentuating our preconceptions about hopeless romantics and those with meaningless verbiage. The effect is one of joyous atmosphere and true entertainment.
Adrian Lester provides a magnificent performance as the wordsmith, Cyrano. His character is verbose, comedic, and sympathetic in equal measures. Lester is enticing, hilarious and – judging by the reaction of the audience –appreciated as a versatile actor who can do comedy just as well as drama. Levi Brown’s Christian is a fiery - overtly hopeless - romantic who cannot paint his feelings into words. Brown gives a very energetic and magnetic performance. Similarly, Susannah Fielding provides a sprightly Roxanne who is heart-warming and an utter pleasure to watch.
Adrian Lester (front right) and companyMarc Brenner
It’s hard not to notice but as an audience, we are invited to consider the value of language that may sound romantic, but may – in actual fact – be little more than a shallow expression of fancy. Whereas, the seemingly absence of language – though painfully inadequate - may actually embody real sincerity and the true meaning of love.
Whatever you may think, one thing is certain: you will enjoy this production. It’s a real treat.
The play started at the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in early September, with its run lasting until 15th November.
Rating: ***** (5 stars)
(Cyrano de Bergerac is playing at the RSC Stratford until 15th November 2025.)
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