The Pioneer’s SHIKHA DUGGAL converses with the ‘Mega’ daughter Niharika Konidela, who is now acing the production game under her home banner, Pink Elephant. The actress-producer opens up about movies, life, and more.
In conversation with Niharika Konidela, her allegory literally gave us clues that she had well understood her father’s heredity. And let us tell you, this woman is intellectually fascinating to speak to! We had plenty of questions to throw at her, seeing that she comes from the “Mega” family, and she answered each one of them with so much explicitness! Are you ready, readers?
“So as a baby, my parents have apprised me by saying that, Niharika, you were a no-cry baby. I believe them! But I was super hyper. Hilariously, none of those energies were coming from my parents. I remember spinning and whirling for five straight hours. All said and done, eventually I was and will always be my dad’s little girl,” shared the producer!
We have more for you guys — because the actress even goes on to share a fond memory, which is: “Every time it would rain, my father loved the weather so much that he would always come up to us and convince us to go out. I used to dance my heart out! And for my fans to know, I do it to date.”
Megastar’s blood running in her veins seems like an impressive statement. Oh, with every new step she’s taking in this industry, the actress is actually turning it into an affirmation. Because you know what? Niharika expressed, “The family I come from, this industry has always been our bread and butter. I am so lucky to have been born into a family that’s full of creativity and passion for the entertainment industry. And oh my my, I love my Telugu roots. I’ll tell you something: I lie among the slim number of women in the industry who really come from a proper Telugu background. As long as I’m alive, I’ll keep this legacy drifting. Here in Hyderabad, you will always see me conversing in Telugu and not English. Most importantly, I dub for myself! But again, there’s a rule that my father has abided by to date, which is to never come home and spill details about the actors he has worked with.”
She had another very interesting anecdote to share with us exclusively. She said, “I have always accompanied my father on his shoots since childhood. Evidently, I became the favourite kid on the sets! And as a kid, hey, I took advantage of all that, especially the exploitation of snacks, hahaha. Slowly and gradually, the seriousness of shooting started to kick in. They weren’t having celebrations; they were serious! All of a sudden, I was observing minute details behind the scenes. I started irking the cinematographers around: Hey, what are these camera techniques? Or actors practicing their lines with so much devotion. The production team is never near the shooting spot — a revelation! They are managing everything from a few metres away. So, I used to sit in that circle as a producer’s daughter.”
Now, as a producer herself, she’s the woman in magic. She’s into gaining that creative control, but fairly! And something that she never takes for granted: “I am moderately involved in the creative aspects; I like sitting with the director to improvise those creative inputs. It was 2015 when I turned 21 years old, thinking to myself that there are short films on YouTube and serials on television, but what if we do a mix of them in Telugu? We developed this! I was hosting a television show simultaneously, and not even kidding, I used my signing amount for my baby production. And that’s how Muddapappu Avakai came to life.”
She really believes in intense and meticulous pre-production. And direct communication has always helped her! She continued, “I told my father in 2012 that I would love to be on-screen. I think it’s time! It was he who suggested I first host a show to get comfortable with the cameras. But why have people assumed that I won’t act anymore? I will! I find it tough to even feel about quitting this industry; this is home to me. Meanwhile, we did two shows for ZEE 5 as a production house. We are currently on track to release a show for Sony LIV now! One is in the pre-production stage for Prime Video. All I pray for is that the industry should be kinder to younger generations. Don’t look for experience already; it follows. Because I have met quite a few fresh writers, but nobody is willing to believe in them, which breaks my heart.”
