Dedicated to the famous Lavani performer, actress and stage artist Megha GajiThe upcoming film Eetha, based on the legendary Tamasha queen Vithabai Narayangaonkar, is more than just a biopic. It is a deeply personal journey that brings back memories of admiration, struggle and inspiration. Known for her immense contribution to Lavani, Megha is also an actress who has done films, judged dance reality shows, etc.In an exclusive chat with ETimes, Megha talks about the experience of watching the trailer of the Laxman Utekar directorial starring Shraddha Kapoor, receiving the prestigious Vithabai Gaurav Award and how she herself bears a striking resemblance to the iconic actor.
“Watching Shraddha Kapoor admit Megha Gaji, I had tears in my eyes
Mejia couldn’t hide her excitement when talking about the trailer. She shared, “I saw the trailer and I loved it. I am a fan of Shraddha Kapoor. She is a beautiful actress, a great dancer with incredible sense of dance. The moment I saw the first poster, I wanted the film to be completed soon and reach audiences around the world.” She added that she was excited to see Shraddha transform into Vith Shabai.“When I heard Veetabhai’s name, I naturally felt immense respect. When I saw Shraddha Kapoor in the trailer, I got teary-eyed. Her look, her attitude as a dancer, her struggles and her strength as an actor – I could see everything about her. It’s an amazing trailer,” she added.
Revered in the name of Visabhai
For Megha, the connection with Vithabai is more than admiration. The actress revealed she received the prestigious Vitabhai Gaurav Award After the legendary artist passed away, she received help from her family. “I am very proud to have received the Vithabai Gaurav Award through her family. In 2001, the first year after her death, her family organized an event in her memory and awarded me an award in her name. This is a very big thing for me. “
The song ‘Pota Sathi Nachte Me’ leaves Megha speechless
Mejia recalls the iconic song ‘Pota Shadi Nacht Mi‘ and the responsibility she feels because of Veetabhai’s legacy. She recalls, “When I was asked to sing ‘Pota Sathi Nachte Mi’ in the album, I became very emotional. I was silent for almost two minutes. I told myself that if I did justice to the song, then Vithabai’s contribution to this art form would be disrespected. I don’t want anyone to question the song because it has Vithabai’s name attached to it. I was very anxious.“
Megha says she was traumatized by reading Vitabhai’s story
The actress also revealed that reading a book about Veetabhai’s life had a huge impact on her.“I read the entire book about Vithabai. After reading it, I couldn’t get over that trauma for eight days. The struggle she went through was incredible. She was trapped by real-life circumstances, but she still continued to fight. After learning about her experience, I am even more proud of her. ” she added.
Rare similarities between Mejia and Vittabai
Interestingly, Mejia has a unique connection with her idol. Veetabhai is known to have continued performing during her pregnancy, while Megha also performed on stage during her pregnancy in 2005-06. Dedication to Lavani and stage performance remains stronger than the physical challenges, making her journey very similar to that of the legendary performers she respects.
Megha now wants to witness and experience Vithabai through Shraddha Kapoor
Although Mejia never got the chance to see Veetabhai perform live, she hopes the film will give audiences a glimpse into the icon’s greatness. “I hope the film releases soon and I hope everyone can watch it in theaters. I have only seen Vithabai in videos, I have never seen her in real life. With Shraddha Kapoor, I want to experience our Vithabai on screen and stage.”
Megha talks about Rawani’s change of face
Megha spoke candidly about today’s lavani scene, expressing concern that the art form is sometimes misunderstood.“My generation dedicated our entire life to Rawani. We struggled for many years. Young people today often see only 15 or 30 seconds of the film and think that is the journey. Our struggle was completely different.”She added that while it’s encouraging to see more people learning Lavani, it’s equally important to keep it authentic.“It is good for Rawani to be educated, but it should be done with respect and understanding. It should never be presented in a way that compromises the art form. Many artists devoted their lives to building this culture.
Megha’s dream role in Veetabhai
Surprisingly, Megha revealed that she had explored the possibility of playing Vettabhai herself.Megha shared, “I met a few people about the Vithabai project because I wanted to play her. Discussions were going on and there were plans, but things never materialized. I wanted to play Vithabai very much.” However, seeing Shraddha Kapoor take up the role filled her with happiness rather than regret. “Today, when I saw Shraddha Kapoor playing Veetabai, it felt great. I’m not upset that I can’t do it. Of course, I would have loved to play her, but I’m really excited to see her story finally reach the audience.“
