South Indian film industry veteran Meena has made a poignant revelation during the promotions of upcoming film Mookuthi Amman 2, which stars Nayanthara in the lead. While speaking to the press, the seasoned actor opened up about the tragic death of her close friend, the late actor Soundarya, who perished in an airplane crash on April 17, 2004.

Soundarya, a celebrated actor in South Indian cinema, lost her life at the age of 31, along with her brother and two others, when a Cessna 180 single-engine aircraft crashed near Jakkur Airfield, close to Bengaluru. The aircraft was en route to Karimnagar, where Soundarya was due to campaign on behalf of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which she had joined only shortly before the incident.

Meena, visibly emotional, recounted how she, too, had been invited to join Soundarya on the campaign trip that day.

“Actually, I was also invited to go for campaigning along with her on that day. But since politics is not really my thing, I declined the invitation, saying I had a film shoot. What happened after that shattered me,” she shared.

Recalling Soundarya as “a close friend, a heavily talented and wonderful human being,” Meena added that the loss was something she still hasn’t fully come to terms with.

“Her death came in as a shock — something I am yet to recover from,” she said.

Soundarya’s untimely passing had sent shockwaves through the Indian film industry at the time. Her vibrant career, promising future in politics, and compassionate nature had earned her legions of admirers across South India.

Now, 21 years later, Meena’s revelation adds a deeply personal layer to a tragedy that continues to haunt many in the film fraternity.