From Jatland to Tollywood, actress Meenakshi Chaudhary has come a long way. On Women’s Day, she takes us through her journey, which is as filmi as it can get
Meenakshi Chaudhry’s journey as an actor has been incredibly challenging. From Panchkula, Haryana, where she was born, to winning the Miss India pageant in Mumbai to doing theatre and then making a mark down south in Tollywood—is no easy feat.What more, she even speaks Telugu fluently!
“I trusted my instincts and just went with the flow. I never imagined my life would turn out like this,” smiles actress Meenakshi Chaudhry, in conversation with Hyderabad Chronicle. She made her film debut with the Telugu film Ichata Vahanamulu Niluparadu (2021). Meenakshi has since featured in box-office hits like HIT: The Second Case (2022), The Greatest of All Time (2024), Lucky Baskhar (2024), and Sankranthiki Vasthunam (2025).
Tollywood is home
“Tollywood is home now, and the audience is my family here. I have never felt so much at ease, so much in my space anywhere else. The industry gave me love, appreciation, and respect, says Meenakshi, who represented India at the Miss Grand International 2018 pageant in Yangon, Myanmar. Ask her whether learning Telugu was a difficult task; she replies, on the contrary. “Actually, I was able to pick up the language easily.
I come from a medical background, and if there’s one thing that I’m excellent at, it is remembering and memorising lines and words. As I kept doing more films in this language, I picked it up rapidly.” Meenakshi hopes to buy a house for herself in Hyderabad in the near future. “I live in a rented house right now and want to make more money and invest smartly,” she says.
Tollywood & women
Are women treated well in the film industry, given the fact that sometimes nasty, unpleasant comments have been made by those in the industry itself? “People pass all sorts of comments against actresses, forgetting that they are also somebody’s daughter, sister, or wife. We must practice humanity and kindness, refraining from demeaning others and being mindful of our words,” says the actress.
Upcoming projects
Meenakshi is currently shooting for a Naveen Polishetty film. “There is another film for which the official announcement from the production house is expected to come soon, and the shooting will commence. Additionally, there is a film in Tamil. The characters are diverse, and the audience will surely enjoy them,” she says.
Choosing films
Meenakshi feels she is now in a position to choose the kind of films she wants to be part of. “As an actor, it’s a blessing to be able to do that. I'm grateful to be able to decide whether to join the project. This is the best time for me to explore, experiment, and just go all out with what I want to do as an actor,” says the actress, whose favourite movie is Jersey, besides a whole lot of Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi movies. The list of her favourite actors is really long, and she only hopes to work with them someday.
Keeping Busy Outside of Acting
When not busy with her acting commitments, Meenakshi likes to read books. A sportsperson, she loves to indulge in hiking and trekking as well. “I love doing anything that keeps me fit and helps me look at the world from a different perspective,” says Meenakshi, who is into yoga and meditation as well. She undertakes spiritual trips as well. Her fitness regime largely depends on her mood. “It’s a mixed bag. I get bored easily, so keep different things all the time. Whatever I am today comes out of boredom or wanting to try something new,” laughs the actress.
“It’s not been an easy journey; there have been many obstacles. It was challenging to learn the language, secure good projects, and establish connections with people. It’s an ongoing process. Coming from Haryana and now working down south is no cakewalk.”
— Meenakshi
