For Lavani famous actor, actress, and actress Megha GhadgeThe upcoming film, ‘Eetha’, from the legendary Tamasha queen Vithabai Narayangaonkar is more than just a story. This is a personal journey that brings back memories of admiration, struggle, and inspiration. Megha who is known for her main role in Lavani is an actress who has done films, judged dance reality shows and more.In an exclusive interview with ETimes, Megha spoke about watching Laxman Utekar’s movie starring Shraddha Kapoor, receiving the prestigious Vithabai Gaurav award, and how she herself shares similarities with the actor.
“I had tears in my eyes when I saw Shraddha Kapoor accepting Megha Ghadge
Megha could not hide her excitement while talking about the teaser. He shared, “I saw the teaser and I really liked it. I am a big fan of Shraddha Kapoor. She is a beautiful actress, an amazing dancer and has an amazing passion for dancing. The moment I saw the first picture, I wished that the film would be completed soon and reach people all over the world.” He also said that seeing Shraddha transform into Vithabai left him.“When I hear the name of Vithabai, I just feel great respect. When I saw Shraddha Kapoor in the teaser, I had tears in my eyes. Her looks, her attitude as a dancer, her challenges, and her strength as an actress – I can see everything in her. It’s an amazing teaser,” he said.
Honored in the Name of Vithabai
For Megha, the connection with Vithabai goes beyond admiration. The actress revealed that she accepted the honor Vithabai Gaurav Award from the family of a famous artist after his death. “I am proud to have received the Vithabai Gaurav Award through his family. In 2001, the first year after his death, his family organized a memorial program and honored me with an award in his name. This is a very big thing for me. “
The song ‘Pota Sathi Nachte Me’ left Megha speechless
Megha recalled recording a famous song ‘Pota Sathi Nachte Mi‘ and the responsibility he felt because of Vithabai’s legacy. He recalled, “When I was asked to sing the song ‘Pota Sathi Nachte Mi’, I was very emotional. I was silent for almost two minutes. I told myself that if I don’t do justice to the song, what Vithabai did in the photo shoot would be disrespectful. I didn’t want anyone to question the song because Vithabai’s name was attached. I was very worried.“
Megha says that reading about Vithabai made her sad
The actress also explained how reading a book about Vithabai’s life had a profound effect on her.“I read the entire book written on Vithabai. After reading it, I could not come out of that trouble for eight days. The amount of trouble she faced was unbelievable. When I understood about his journey, I was very proud of him,” he added.
A rare match between Megha and Vithabai
Interestingly, Megha shares a special bond with her idol. Like Vithabai, who continued to act despite being pregnant, Megha also performed on stage while pregnant around 2005-06. Lavani’s dedication to stage performances remained stronger than physical challenges, making her journey more like that of a famous singer she revered.
Megha now wants to witness and meet Vithabai through Shraddha Kapoor
Although Megha never got the chance to watch Vithabai in action, she hopes that the film will give the audience a glimpse of the icon’s greatness. “I want this film to release as soon as possible and I want everyone to watch it in theatres. I have only seen Vithabai in videos. I have never seen her in real life. Through Shraddha Kapoor, I want to meet our Vithabai on screen and on stage.”
Megha on Lavani’s face change
Speaking candidly about what’s going on in Lavani today, Megha expressed her concern over how the art form is sometimes misunderstood.“Our generation gave our whole life to Lavani. We fought for many years. Today’s youth often see only 15 or 30 seconds and think it’s a journey. Our problems were very different.”He added that while it is encouraging to see more people learning Lavani, maintaining its authenticity is important.“It is good that Lavani is being trained, but she needs to be trained with respect and understanding. It should not be presented in a way that damages the artwork. Many artists have dedicated their whole lives to building this culture.
The role of Vithabai Megha once dreamed
In a surprising revelation, Megha shared that she had explored the possibility of portraying Vithabai herself.Megha also said, “I met people about the Vithabai project because I wanted to play her. Talks were going on and there were plans, but things didn’t happen. I wanted to play Vithabai so badly.” However, seeing Shraddha Kapoor take on the role has given her joy rather than regret. “Today, when I see Shraddha Kapoor as Vithabai, it feels good. I’m not disappointed that I couldn’t do it. Yes, I would have loved to portray her, but I’m very happy to see that her story is reaching people.“