CHENNAI: Actress Meena, in a recent interview with Telugu actor Jagapathi Babu, revealed that she was supposed to be accompanying late South Indian actress Soundarya on her flight to Andhra Pradesh on April 17, 2004, which cost the actress her life. The actress was on her way to be part of the BJP's election campaign in the state. "The news of Soundarya's death was a big shock. I have not been able to fully recover from that," Meena said.
Talking about the incident in the talk show Jayammu Nischayammu Raa, she said that she had declined the offer to be part of the BJP's election campaign in Andhra Pradesh as she was not very interested in politics. "I was supposed to go campaigning, but I avoided citing shooting as a reason. I was devastated when I heard what had happened later," she added as per reports.
Remembering her friendship with the late actress, she remarked, "We were very close. She was an amazing girl. Very beautiful inside and out."
Meena and Soundarya collaborated in multiple films across languages including Parthiban's Ivan (2001). Soundarya and her brother Amarnath passed away in the plane crash while en route to Andhra Pradesh. The crash left no survivors.