Here’s why Shahid calls Meiyang ‘Chang Baba’
Singer, TV host and actor Meiyang Chang has dabbled in diverse fields. Whether it was through singing talent show Indian Idol Season 3 or his performance in films such as Detective Byomkesh Bakshy (2015), Sultan (2016) and Bharat (2019), he has carved a niche for himself in the industry.
However, in pursuit of making it big on the acting front, his love for writing and sketching has taken a back seat, something he misses a lot. “Writing and sketching were my first love. When I started working as a dentist in Bengaluru, I used to sketch and write a lot. I started introspecting on life, thinking about how all friends that we make in school and college move on in life and how things become very serious and real,” Meiyang muses.
The actor started travelling and exploring new things, including watching plays and classical music. And that was the turning point in his life. “I used to write a lot of things, including short stories, reviews of books and plays of Girish Karnad and Rajit Kapur. I also went for many Kannada music and classical concerts. I used to write about whatever I appreciated about these things, and they had a profound effect on me. It evoked the latent artist in me, as earlier I didn’t know that I will be doing all of this,” he shares.
Eventually, it all started becoming too philosophical and he even got a new name – Chang Baba. “That time, I used to have a very regimental schedule, and started thinking about my inner self. And when I came to Mumbai and worked in my debut movie Badmaash Company (2010), Shahid Kapoor (actor) used to call me Chang Baba and said, ‘Tu hamesha itni philosophical baatein karta hai’,” Meiyang recalls.
After that, it became very sporadic and he used to write once a year. Looking back, Meiyang says, “Sometimes when I read, I wonder, ‘Yeh maine likha hai?’ I don’t think I can write the same way. If I get back to acting or sketching, it will be a bit cathartic, but I’d be back in form, as well.”
I used to have a very regimental schedule, and started thinking about my inner self. And when I came to Mumbai and worked in my debut movie Badmaash Company (2010), Shahid Kapoor (actor) used to call me Chang Baba...
MEIYANG CHANG SINGER-ACTOR