Showing posts with label Tenali Rama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tenali Rama. Show all posts
I suffered professionally due to the perception others had of me-Raja Chaudhary
10:53 AM
Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; April 23, 2025)
Raja Chaudhary, who was part of the first season of Tenali Rama, returned to the ongoing season in a new role as Chaudapa Raya. The actor, who was last seen in Kaisa Hai Yeh Rishta Anjaana last year, shares, “I was happy, and it was great to reconnect with the old unit and friends.”
He acknowledges that being open about his personal life - he was earlier married to actress Shweta Tiwari - and past controversies may have cost him work opportunities. He says, “I don’t feel I’ve had the amount of work I truly deserve, possibly due to the negative publicity surrounding me. People who have never even met me assume I am always creating problems. If I really caused problems, why would the makers of Tenali Rama bring me back? Yes, I suffered professionally due to the perception others had of me.”
On a personal note, Raja, who battled alcoholism, shares that he has been sober for a while now. “Alcoholism was a major issue in my life, but I realized it much later. I was able to overcome it by focusing on something positive — pickleball. I immersed myself in the sport, which kept me busy and helped me fight my addiction. Thankfully, I’ve overcome it, though it remains a daily challenge. I have to push myself to stay on track. Since 2021, I’ve been living a sober life, and I can think more clearly, stay calmer, and be happier now. Sobriety has given me a broader, more positive outlook on life. When you’re not sober, your mind doesn’t function as it should, and you make decisions that you might regret later.”
He credits his family for being a strong source of support during his recovery. He says, “My parents were uncomfortable with my alcoholism. Ultimately, you live for your family, and when they’re not happy with you, it makes you realize you need to change. Once I acknowledged my mistakes and decided to surrender, I was able to work on myself. My family has been with me through it all, offering their moral support. If I could change one thing about my past, it would be never to have touched alcohol. It disrupted my life, and I didn’t handle situations the way I should have.”
Having gone through two failed marriages — one with actress Shweta Tiwari and another with Delhi-based corporate professional Shveta Sood — Raja is not looking for love or marriage at the moment. He says, “Although I am not averse to love and marriage, it’s not something I’m planning right now. Maybe when it’s meant to happen, it will. Let’s see.”
Regarding his relationship with his daughter, actress Palak Tiwari, from his first marriage, he says, “We stay in touch. She reaches out whenever she gets time from her busy schedule, and I do the same. I’m very proud of her.”
I believe if there is no work, don’t do bad work-Minissha Lamba
8:02 AM
The Bollywood actress, who has switched to television, talks about the highs and lows of her acting career
Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; September 4, 2018)
After doing Bollywood films, actress Minissha Lamba joined TV. She made her small-screen debut with the reality show Bigg Boss in 2014, and more recently, was seen in a cameo on Tenali Rama. Now, she is currently seen in the show Internet Wala Love (IWL). Though television is fairly new to her, Minissha isn’t bothered about the demanding schedule and long working hours. She is, in fact, “prepared” for it. She asserts, “I am very prepared. I have seen one extreme by taking a long break and now this is the other extreme, which I am ready to dive into. Everyone did warn me about the fact that TV actors shoot for 12 hours a day, but I am ready for it.”
Ask her if she regrets doing a cameo on Tenali Rama and she replies, “I don’t regret it at all because it was a good production house to work with and a good show to be a part of. I knew that it was a cameo. It’s all about timing. If this show (IWL) was made earlier, I would have had a different journey on TV but I feel that this show came at the right time for me, because I am ready to get into TV fullfledgedly.”
Talking about why she was missing in action a few years ago, Minissha says, “It just happens suddenly, you don’t get the projects you want to do and rather whatever comes your way isn’t exciting enough. So, instead of doing stuff, which you will cringe at later and think, ‘Oh... I did that in my life as well’, it’s better to avoid it. I believe if there is no work, don’t do bad work.”
So, does she have any regrets? She replies, “Yes, I regret doing bad work in Bollywood. I have been through those cringe-worthy moments that made me say, ‘Oh God, what was I thinking when I signed this?’ Though my lips are sealed, if you see my filmography, it will be evident which films I have regretted.”
While she is open to doing films, she is also clear about the roles she will be offered at this stage of her career. She says, “Just because I did some stuff in the past doesn’t mean that I plunge back in and people would be like, ‘Oh wow!’ It doesn’t work like that. I am very happy doing television and diving into this medium. Yes, I am sure that after this, if there are makers or producers out there who say, ‘We think she would be right for this role and let’s give her a call’, then I am definitely up for movies. Who isn’t? However, I know that I will be doing character roles right now. I am not delusional about where I stand in the pecking order. I am in touch with reality. What I have done was in the past, and I have been through a screen gap now. I am optimistic that makers will look at me for character roles.”
Ask her if a screen gap hampers a heroine’s career more than her male counterparts and Minissha replies, “I think it’s applicable to heroes as well. For super stars, the rules are different. See, it’s brutal. In fact, it’s more brutal and extremely difficult for male stars, after just one failed film as opposed to an actress’ three films. The pressure of the film is always on them. I feel it’s very unfair, because you are a professional on the film. So, if a film doesn’t work, it doesn't mean that the camera man or the set designer is a flop, and thus, shouldn’t get any work. They are professionals who have done their jobs. Just like them, we actors are professionals, who have done our jobs. I feel it’s so unfair to pick an actor and blame him for it.”
Minissha feels that TV is a tougher medium than Bollywood. “On a film set, you are shooting with just one camera, while on a show, you are shooting with two cameras at a time and you have to make sure that everything is in sync and synergy. So, that’s something I am learning right now. I feel like a newcomer on a TV set a bit, but I will emerge as a manjha hua kalaakar very soon,” she says.
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