Nakuul Mehta says his first Telugu film was never released. exclusive
Actor Nakuul Mehta discusses his unconventional path into the entertainment industry, sharing insights about his early beginnings, challenges he faced and the change in his outlook on success.
in conversation with India TodayActor Nakuul Mehta reflects on his unconventional journey into acting, which started in the South film industry before moving through theater and television. Drawing parallels with Shreya Saran’s 25-year career and sporting legends like Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, Mehta spoke candidly about the ambition, anxiety, learning and quiet triumphs that keep her going.
Nakkul’s first introduction to cinema was not from television but from the South. His career started with a Telugu film, which was never released. He shared, “I started my career with a Telugu film that was never released – one of those works. When I went to Hyderabad, Shreya Saran’s name was everywhere. I had already seen her work because I was there for three months with nothing to do, so I would go and watch her films. She had probably just started then, but she was instantly extremely successful. Then I went back to theatre, did a few commercials and found my way. She, on the other hand, has been working steadily And have been at it for 25 years. That’s the difference.”
Looking back, Mehta admits that his decision to become an actor was not inspired by any clear calling. “In the beginning, I didn’t even know why I wanted to be an actor. Growing up, a lot of people would say, ‘You should act.’ I loved entertaining people and being at the center of it, but I don’t think I had a clear purpose at that time.”
He further added, “Doing the South film was very difficult for me because I didn’t know the language. The circumstances under which we made that film were challenging and I felt like I had no collaborators, no support. It had nothing to do with the industry; it had everything to do with the people I was working with at the time.”
Yet, through these experiences Mehta began to understand what really attracted him to the art form. “After that experience, I realized that I somewhat enjoyed the life between ‘action’ and ‘cut.’ Then I started doing television, and somewhere along the way, I discovered the joy of staging a scene correctly.”
Today, their definition of success has changed dramatically. “A show or a movie may not reach people, but what I felt that day was success for me. Now, on every show, if you can have two or three great days – days where you personally feel you’ve done your best – that’s success to me. It’s very different from starting with the mentality of ‘I need this show to work.'” For most of us it starts out the same way: I need this to work so I can get more work. Could.
Talking about reinventing himself as an actor, Nakuul said, “I’m not sure I would use the word ‘reinvent’, because that would be giving yourself too much credit – like you invented this great talent. It’s about constantly learning. My inspiration is Shreya. When you look at her 25-year-long rich, value-creating career, you realize you can still feel anxious and still want to learn. If If I can do that, I’ll feel successful.”
For Mehta, continued business success is something he views with both admiration and caution. “Having that passion, especially when you’re such a successful commercial star, is not easy. She has seen and is seeing all the fame and success. I don’t know what that would do to me.”
He further added, “It’s like Sachin or Virat Kohli playing for 25 years – that’s no small thing. There’s still hunger, to still be an exceptional professional. If I can just maintain that feeling, I won’t care about external success – how much your show is liked or whether people love you or not. Just having that feeling is phenomenal. If I can maintain that, I think I will have done well, honestly.”
