It was her former neighbor, the late actor Rishi Kapoor, who first noticed Meenakshi Seshadri in the US and shared her photo on Twitter, sparking interest in her a few years back. Upon her return to India to re-enter the industry, she recognized the significance of having a digital presence and a following. Her son provided her with constructive criticism to aid her, although her daughter is less enthusiastic about social media. Her channel is abundant with videos of her dancing.
During the zenith of her career, Meenakshi left the industry to marry Harish Mysore, an investment banker. Life in the US proved to be challenging. "Initially, I felt very insecure about leaving the film industry entirely. Harish and I even thought about finding opportunities for him in India through American companies. He did his best, but his future was in the US, not India. He completed his higher education there and was deeply involved in investment banking," she recalls. She was also prepared to settle down and start a family. "The US pushed me out of my comfort zone to become self-reliant. Despite being a renowned movie star, I was a simple middle-class girl and could adapt. Back in Mumbai, I wasn't surrounded by staff at home; we had two part-timers and the rest of the time it was just mom and me."
"Dallas has vast stretches of land, and driving there was a pleasure," she adds. She remembers struggling with the Texan accent and frequently asking people to repeat themselves. Meenakshi, who is trained in four classical dance forms—Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi, Odissi, and Kathak—began teaching dance at the urging of friends. "I started learning music and dance at the age of two, and each classical form takes six years to master. I perfected all before entering Bollywood at 20," she explains. This is why she is eager to perform an item song. "I want to unleash my soul and bring to my dance what I have learned over the past 28 years of my life. I want to make a comeback with a fresh perspective."
Regarding body shaming and age shaming, Meenakshi is firm in her stance. "Recently, I was in Dubai and posted a Reel. While most comments were positive, a few people told me to 'behave my age' and 'wear a saree and hair bun'. It's odd that once you're past 30-40, many try to confine you to their expectations." She believes that "a dancer or an actor should not be restricted by an image and should adapt to what her character demands." Meenakshi takes it all in stride. "I am over 60, and I don't want my intelligence insulted or play it safe anymore to meet the public's demands. Sometimes filmmakers are unsure what to offer me. I read a few scripts that didn't make sense to me—one was about a strange character that only appeared in 10 percent of the film's story. Is this what I attract?" she laughs.
As for moving back to India, did she find the transition to her home in Pune smooth? "I did experience some nostalgia and complained about the infrastructure, congestion, and pollution, but I adapted quickly." Meenakshi is looking for proper representation in the PR industry. In the meantime, she is reconnecting with industry friends. "A friend wanted to honor the leading pair from Hero at his farmhouse, and I met Jackie Shroff after many years. He hasn't changed at all. He gave me a plant he usually gifts to friends. I observed how he promoted the event on social media with his team. I plan to meet more colleagues soon."
Meenakshi has always admired the South Indian film industry, which dominates much of the content seen in India today. "They were always more efficient, planned better, and produced better than Mumbai. The Telugu industry has been a trailblazer and very business-savvy. The star value there is hard to match in Bollywood."
