New Delhi: Nithya Menen, the popular South Indian actress was last seen on Skylab, a Telugu period comedy-drama, which was released in theatres on December 3, 2021. The movie premiered on SonyLIV on January 14. Apart from playing the lead role, she made her presence as a producer. In an interview with India Today, Menen shared her experience being a co-producer and her career in Bollywood.
Nithya Menen as a co-producer for Skylab
Vishvak Khanderao’s directorial, Skylab has been co-produced by Nithya Menen. The movie features Nithya Menen, Satyadev Kancharana, and Rahul Ramakrishna in main roles.
When asked about her experience as a co-producer, Nithya Menen stated, “When I was working, I was not involved in the production side, I was just on sets like I normally would. We were fully into Skylab when we were shooting. I was just being Gauri and enjoyed the process. But, I think after the production was wrapped up, it required me to get involved in other aspects. I co-produced the film and we had our wonderful producer, Prithivi, who did most of the work on our behalf. So, I didn’t have to get into it very deep and do too much of the work. It was very interesting because there was a lot more ownership to the film and I wanted to see this film being made. So, there’s a nice sense of achievement. But of course, the details are sometimes not easy to deal with, especially because you’re not setting out to be a producer.”
Further, Menen was asked about how much she enjoyed being a part of the movie, she responded, “Yes, of course, I did. I think it was more about necessity and practicality. I’m always attracted to real cinema. I always like films that are genuinely told and those that are truly a representative of good-quality filmmaking. So, these are not films that are just put together for commercial purposes. It is a story that somebody wants to tell and that’s what I saw in Skylab. Vishvak has a unique sense of storytelling which I find absolutely refreshing. I felt that was necessary. In today’s world, when things are so commercial everywhere, I felt that kind of writer and storytelling are necessary. And if I can help that a little bit, then I’ll try and do my best. So that’s my push to do the film.”
Nithya Menen’s take on Skylab’s OTT release
Menen felt that the movie did not receive as much appreciation it should have received when it was released in theatres in December 2021. She added, “We had an issue with Skylab when it was released in theatres. It didn’t get as many people in theatres as we would have normally got. The kind of audience didn’t come out to watch films. So yeah, we do see it suffer, but I mean, it’s inevitable. What can you do about it? It’s how it goes. Life won’t always go hunky-dory, like the way you want. You can’t predict this, so it’s okay. If something happens, then you learn to kind of adapt and move on. It will get better. I mean, nothing is going to be forever. So if this is going to change soon, it’s okay.”
Nithya Menen’s Bollywood career
Nithya Menen made her presence in Bollywood with the movie Mission Mangal with co-stars Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan and Taapsee Pannu. Her performance was gathered attention from the audience. Talking about more Bollywood projects, Menen stated, “I do have a few films that are in the discussion stage, but nothing has been confirmed yet. But, something interesting is coming up very soon. I have always been quite selective about the films I do, whether it’s Bollywood or anywhere else. It’s the same process. So unless I really like it, I don’t want to go forward. Having said that, I am getting great offers and I am looking forward to it. Soon, you will get the good news.”
