Nakuul Mehta recalls seeing Shriya Saran during his Hyderabad days: 'She had probably just started then, but she was...'
'Space Gen: Chandrayaan' actor Nakkul Mehta has shared that his first step into films did not lead to a debut on screen. He said the Telugu project he started with never reached audiences, turning what should have been an introduction into a reset. The experience, he added, showed him early on that an acting career can shift without warning. In an exclusive interview with India Today, Mehta looked back on that phase and spoke about the pressure, the confusion that came with starting out, and how time has reshaped what success means to him. He traced his journey from the South film industry to theatre, advertising, and eventually television, calling it unconventional and deeply instructive.
Speaking to India Today, Mehta reflected on how his first step into cinema came before television and did not deliver the launch he had hoped for. The experience, he said, forced him to confront discomfort, isolation, and self-doubt at a very early stage of his career.
Career beginnings in South cinema and early strugglesMehta shared that his acting journey began with a Telugu project that never reached audiences. “I started my career with a Telugu film which never came out, one of those works,” he said. At the time, he was in Hyderabad for months with little to do, watching films and observing the industry from the outside. He recalled seeing Shriya Saran rise up close. “When I went to Hyderabad, Shriya Saran was the name everywhere. She had probably just started then, but she was extremely successful straight away.”
The contrast stayed with him. “Then I went back to theatre, did some advertising, and found my way. She, on the other hand, has been working consistently and has been at it for 25 years. That’s the difference.”
Mehta admitted the Telugu film was a tough experience. “Doing a South film was very hard for me because I didn’t know the language. The circumstances in which we made that film were challenging, and I felt like I had no allies, no support.” He stressed that this was about people, not the industry itself.
How Nakkul Mehta defines success todayLooking back, Mehta said acting was not a clear calling at first. “Initially, I’m not even sure why I wanted to be an actor,” he said, adding that he enjoyed entertaining people but lacked purpose early on.
That changed over time. “After that experience, I realised I enjoyed something about the life between ‘action’ and ‘cut’.” Television helped him grow. “Somewhere along the way, I discovered the joy of getting a scene right.”
Today, success is personal. “A show or film may not reach people, but what I felt that day was success for me.” He added, “If you can have two or three great days where you personally feel you did your best, that is success.”
Mehta also spoke about learning and longevity. “It’s about constantly learning,” he said, calling Shreya Saran his inspiration. “If I can retain that spirit, then I think I would have done well, honestly.”
'Space Gen: Chandrayaan' chronicles ISRO’s journey from the Chandrayaan-2 Vikram lander failure in 2019 to Chandrayaan-3’s historic soft landing near the Moon’s south pole. Over five episodes, scientists face scrutiny, limited resources, and COVID-era disruptions as they redesign the lander. The finale captures the tense descent and success at Shiv Shakti Point.
Speaking to India Today, Mehta reflected on how his first step into cinema came before television and did not deliver the launch he had hoped for. The experience, he said, forced him to confront discomfort, isolation, and self-doubt at a very early stage of his career.
Career beginnings in South cinema and early strugglesMehta shared that his acting journey began with a Telugu project that never reached audiences. “I started my career with a Telugu film which never came out, one of those works,” he said. At the time, he was in Hyderabad for months with little to do, watching films and observing the industry from the outside. He recalled seeing Shriya Saran rise up close. “When I went to Hyderabad, Shriya Saran was the name everywhere. She had probably just started then, but she was extremely successful straight away.”
The contrast stayed with him. “Then I went back to theatre, did some advertising, and found my way. She, on the other hand, has been working consistently and has been at it for 25 years. That’s the difference.”
Mehta admitted the Telugu film was a tough experience. “Doing a South film was very hard for me because I didn’t know the language. The circumstances in which we made that film were challenging, and I felt like I had no allies, no support.” He stressed that this was about people, not the industry itself.
How Nakkul Mehta defines success todayLooking back, Mehta said acting was not a clear calling at first. “Initially, I’m not even sure why I wanted to be an actor,” he said, adding that he enjoyed entertaining people but lacked purpose early on.
That changed over time. “After that experience, I realised I enjoyed something about the life between ‘action’ and ‘cut’.” Television helped him grow. “Somewhere along the way, I discovered the joy of getting a scene right.”
Today, success is personal. “A show or film may not reach people, but what I felt that day was success for me.” He added, “If you can have two or three great days where you personally feel you did your best, that is success.”
Mehta also spoke about learning and longevity. “It’s about constantly learning,” he said, calling Shreya Saran his inspiration. “If I can retain that spirit, then I think I would have done well, honestly.”
'Space Gen: Chandrayaan' chronicles ISRO’s journey from the Chandrayaan-2 Vikram lander failure in 2019 to Chandrayaan-3’s historic soft landing near the Moon’s south pole. Over five episodes, scientists face scrutiny, limited resources, and COVID-era disruptions as they redesign the lander. The finale captures the tense descent and success at Shiv Shakti Point.
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