"I was completely broke with only 257 rupees in my account," reveals Medha Shankr in recent conversation with IMDb

Medha Shankr's film, 12th Fail, directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and based on the real-life story of IPS Officer Manoj Kumar Sharma and IRS Officer Shraddha Joshi, has achieved significant milestones in its run and currently holds the top spot on the Top 250 list of top-rated Indian movies chart, and an IMDb user rating of 9.1. The movie stars Shankr and Vikrant Massey in the lead roles, along with Joshi Anantvijay, Anshuman Pushkar, Geeta Agrawal Sharma, and Priyanshu Chatterjee, among others.

In a recent conversation with IMDb after being presented with the IMDb “Breakout Star” STARmeter Award, Shankr reflected on how she landed the role in 12th Fail, saying, “It took me quite some time to land 12th Fail. I started my journey as an actor in Bombay in 2018, and it was in 2022 when I first auditioned for the film at a casting agency. Then, I underwent a screen test with Vidhu Vinod Chopra sir and the entire team. During my first screen test with Vidhu sir, Vikrant, and the team, I had a strong intuition that this role was meant for me. Finally, I received a call from Vidhu sir confirming that I am the leading lady of our film." Further elaborating on how she celebrated after landing the role, the actor said, “I hugged my dad, called my brother, who is in Bangalore, and we shared tears of joy. It was a very emotional moment.”

The actor also shared the challenges she had to face, recounting a time when she was broke in Mumbai, saying, “It was 2020, a devastating year for many reasons worldwide. It was also tough for me because I was fully broke; I had only 257 rupees in my account.” Reflecting on what kept her going during this tough phase, Shankr added, “I wanted to become an actor not because of the peripherals like glamour, beauty, clothes, or attention. It was never about that for me. I wanted to become an actor because I was deeply in love with the craft and the art part of it. I know that acting is my calling.”

Shankr also shared insights into how her life has changed after being declared the ‘National Crush,’ adding, “It’s lovely. I appreciate being called the ‘National Crush.’ I am thoroughly enjoying the moment. However, I also understand that it’s transient, and I hope it’s not.”

The IMDb “Breakout Star” STARmeter Award recognizes stars who are strong performers on the Popular Indian Celebrities list on the IMDb app. It charts the page views of the more than 200 million monthly visitors to IMDb worldwide and has proven to be a keenly accurate predictor of stars who are about to have a breakthrough career moment. “This is my first award for 12th Fail, so it’s extremely special, and it’s coming from IMDb, which is the most credible source for movies, so I’m very happy,” said Shankr. 

Watch the full interview here.