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Medha Shankr admits trying to step away from the girl-next- image post 12th Fail
Medha Shankr admits 'trying to step away from' girl-next-door image after 12th Fail: 'Where’s the challenge' | Interview
Medha Shankr admits 'trying to step away from' girl-next-door image after 12th Fail: 'Where’s the challenge' | Interview
Medha Shankr is returning to the big screen over two years after 12th Fail's success with Ginny Wedss Sunny 2, a rom-com that also stars Avinash Tiwary.
Apr 19, 2026, 07:06:03 IST By Abhimanyu Mathur Share via Copy link Even though Medha Shankr debuted with Beecham House in 2019, it wasn’t until the surprising success of 12th Fail, four years later, that the actor broke through in Bollywood. Her portrayal of UPSC aspirant Shraddha Joshi earned her acclaim, and her girl-next-door image led many to call her the ‘new national crush’. Medha, who is now set to appear in a starkly different role in her upcoming film, Ginny Wedss Sunny 2, talks to Hindustan Times about her journey so far and the urge to find different roles every time. Medha Shankr found her breakthrough with 12th Fail (L) in 2023.‘Ginny is as lovable as Shraddha’
Ginny Wedss Sunny 2, which also stars Avinash Tiwary, features Medha as a young, urban girl who lies her way into an arranged marriage. The 28-year-old actor relishes the challenge of doing something different. Talking about how different the role is from 12th Fail, she says, “If I can do that in a way that convinces people to like me in that image, I want to believe I can convince people to like me as Ginny also. She is just as lovable as Shraddha was.” Shraddha describes Ginny, her character in the romantic comedy, as a sweet, honest girl who is also impatient. “I related to all these aspects a lot,” says the actor.‘Was trying to move away from that image’
Ask her if it was a conscious call to move away from the girl-next-door type roles after 12th Fail, and the actor says, “I am really grateful for the kind of work I was offered after 12th Fail, and I continue to be offered. There was no conscious decision not to do that kind of role again, but I won’t deny that I was trying to step away from that image. I have done that (role) successfully, and I have received a lot of love and critical acclaim for it.” But Medha clarifies that the reluctance to repeat the type of character was not due to any fear of typecasting, but simply because of a desire to challenge herself. “If I do something similar, which I know people want to see, it will be easy. It will be a cakewalk. Then where’s the fun, where’s the challenge,” she says. Directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, 12th Fail told the story of real IPS Manoj Kumar Sharma (played by Vikrant Massey). Medha played his love interest (and later wife), Shraddha, an IRS officer herself. The film, made on a paltry ₹20 crore budget, earned ₹70 crore worldwide.About Ginny Wedss Sunny 2
Her upcoming film Ginny Wedss Sunny 2 is written and directed by Prasshant Jha. A spiritual sequel to Ginny Weds Sunny (2020), the film also stars Sudhir Pandey, Lillete Dubey, and Govind Namdev. It releases in theatres on April 24. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Abhimanyu Mathur Abhimanyu Mathur is Deputy Editor, Entertainment at Hindustan Times. With almost 15 years of experience in writing about everything from films and TV shows to cricket matches and elections, he inhales and exhales pop culture and news. Currently, he watches movies and TV shows and talks to celebrities for a living, while occasionally writing about them as well. A journalism graduate of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University, Abhimanyu began his career with Hindustan Times at the age of 20, swapping classrooms for newsrooms at an early age. He began his journey in the early days of digital journalism, later switching to the madness of print journalism. Work has led him to far off places like Japan and Jordan, as well as to the interiors of Haryana and the Indo-Pak border. He dabbled in city reporting in places like Meerut, Gurgaon, and Delhi, covered the Olympics and Cricket World Cups, before finding his calling in entertainment and lifestyle during the pandemic. A Rotten Tomatoes Certified Film Critic, he is equally at home covering stories on ground as he is interviewing celebrities and studios, and sometimes prefers to shepherd teams in delivering traffic through the day. Even as his role has evolved from reporter to supervisor over the years, his first love remains writing (and of late, talking on camera). With a good understanding of cinema and its trends, and a keen eye for detail, he continues to spark conversations around showbiz for readers around the world.Read More Bollywood Catch every big hit, every wicket with Crickit, a one stop destination for Live Scores, Match Stats, Infographics & much more. Explore now!.Get more updates from Bollywood, Taylor Swift, Hollywood, Music and Web Series along with Latest Entertainment News at Hindustan Times. Home/Entertainment/Bollywood/Medha Shankr Admits 'trying To Step Away From' Girl-next-door Image After 12th Fail: 'Where’s The Challenge' | Interview See Less
Even though Medha Shankr debuted with Beecham House in 2019, it wasn’t until the surprising success of 12th Fail, four years later, that the actor broke through in Bollywood. Her portrayal of UPSC aspirant Shraddha Joshi earned her acclaim, and her girl-next-door image led many to call her the ‘new national crush’. Medha, who is now set to appear in a starkly different role in her upcoming film, Ginny Wedss Sunny 2, talks to Hindustan Times about her journey so far and the urge to find different roles every time.
Shraddha describes Ginny, her character in the romantic comedy, as a sweet, honest girl who is also impatient. “I related to all these aspects a lot,” says the actor.
But Medha clarifies that the reluctance to repeat the type of character was not due to any fear of typecasting, but simply because of a desire to challenge herself. “If I do something similar, which I know people want to see, it will be easy. It will be a cakewalk. Then where’s the fun, where’s the challenge,” she says.
Directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, 12th Fail told the story of real IPS Manoj Kumar Sharma (played by Vikrant Massey). Medha played his love interest (and later wife), Shraddha, an IRS officer herself. The film, made on a paltry ₹20 crore budget, earned ₹70 crore worldwide.
Source: HindustanTimes
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