“I Am A Greedy Actor”- Rakul Preet Singh

JYOTHI VENKATESH

At the outset, chirpy and bubbly actress Rajkul Preet Singh who has arrived in Bollywood in a big way after the phenomenal success of her last film De De Pyar de opposite Ajay Devgn says that she is excited to have played the once in life time role of a prostitute in the forthcoming film Marhaavaan , like Rekha had essayed in Muqaddar Ka Sikandar opposite Amitabh Bachchan. “Thye role of Arzoo that I am playing in Marjaavaan has been inspired greatly by the role that Rekhaji had lived to perfection in Muqddar Ka Sikandar. Director Milap Milan Zaveri even told me that my role was like the ones played by Rekhaji in Muqaddar Ka Sikandar , Tabu in Jeet and last but not the least Madhuri Dixit in Devdas. Arzoo is a very strong woman who is also fierce and understands the meaning of love and what’s more, is fearless and frank to the core.”

Rakul adds that it is for the first time that she has played the role of a call girl though she has to her credit till today, hold your breath as many as 30 films in Telugu, Tamil and of course Hindi till date. It is the kind of a role that has not been portrayed by an actress for a long time. To prepare for the part, I made it a point to visit some bars and observe the girls there. I observed their nazakats, adas, the way they recited the shairis. I also sat with my director and figured out what exactly was the accent that I should use. The biggest challenge in front of me was not to make it look like we are hamming to the core.”

Rakul Preet Singh confesses that at the outset itself when Milap had narrated the role to her, he had told me that it was just an extended special appearance and also told me that Rekhaji’s role in Muiqaddar Ka Sikandar was an iconic role. If you remember, even Rekhaji was not seen throughout the film when she had acted in Muqaddar Ka Sikandar. I felt that though it was a small role, it was difficult for an actress and good enough to create an impact of its own in the film. I knew that for a newcomer like me, it was a risky ‘do or die role’ but I decided to take the plunge and take the risk.” Rakul is also pragmatic enough not to judge a call girl by the profession that she has embraced. “I am basically very non judgmental person in real life. I know that there are various problems in the system whereby many girls do not have the good fortune to get education and are condemned to take up the profession due to poverty.

Rakul admits that she did expect De De Pyar De would turn out to be a success. “You do not set out to do a film thinking that it would not do well at the box office. I am glad that the audience loved Ayesha’s role in the film. Several guys in the industry took time out to call me personally and praise me for the role. I am touched because taking time out to talk to me was indeed sweet on their part. I think what went in favor of me was the fact that I managed to hold on the ground with two senior actors like Ajayji and Tabuji.”

Rakul adds that every step that you take or for that matter every movie that you add to your repertoire as an actor, you decide and take a plunge by putting in all your thoughts by weighing their pros and cons cautiously, if you want to make a success of whatever is your career. Rakul asserts that she is not delusional but real. “Yaariyaan came and went a long while ago. It did not click in a big way though I am thankful to Divya Kumar for having given me a break as an actor with that film. De De Pyar De clicked though Aiyaary sank at the box office. While Yaariyaan introduced me to the big industry, De De Pyar De clicked in a big way and hence was a proper show reel for me as an actress.

Right now, after the release of Marjaavaan, Rakul says that she has signed as many as four films though she is not ready to divulge any detail about any of the films except a Telugu film which she is doing with actor Nitin in which she is essaying the role of a criminal lawyer and Indian 2 which she is doing with Kamal Haasan for director Shankar. “There is so much to talk and learn from a legend like Kamal Haasan Sir. As a kid, my most favorite film was Chachi 420. I feel that Kamal Haasan is by himself an encyclopedia. I am a greedy actor. I want to work more with people who know more than I do because only then can I learn and know the difference in the way you deal with pressure. Siddharth Malhotra made me feel comfortable, more so since I had acted with him earlier in Aiyyari”.

Rakuil If earlier, I used to do more films down South and once in a while a film in Hindi, now I am concentrating more in Bollywood. All my films will be released next year, including Indian 2. Right now, I sleep on my flights from and to Mumbai from the South though I have shifted lock, stock and barrel to Mumbai. I cannot ever forget that it is the South industry that had given me my bread and butter even before Yaariyaan was released and I promise I will not leave South films till I am kicked out”, she laughs.

When asked whether she is also open to working in OTT, Rakul quips, “Digital has pushed the industry to generate better content. I am open if something path breaking comes  my way- something which h has not been offered to me earlier like say Laila or something  that Priyanka Chopra did like in Quantico. I am also keen on doing a biopic like Parineeti Chopra is doing. I would love to be a part of the biopic on Sania Mirza. We did not know who Mary Kom was till Priyanka Chopra did a biopic on Mary Kom. Isn’t it? I want to do a mythological since I am blessed with a predominantly Indian face.”

Not many are aware of the fact that Rakul Preeti Singh’s brother Amanpreet Singh also has made inroads into not only Telugu films but also a Hindi film called Ram Rajya. “My brother told me there years ago that he wants to act in films. I told him that he had to find his own way in films. It has been his own journey as al that I did was to give him some contact numbers as I myself am still finding my own way slowly and steadily. I am glad that my brother said that he is prepared to work his way through on his own without depending upon me. I feel bad that I do not even know the titles of the Telugu films that he has been doing. Whatever I have done for the last ten years has been on my own. Amanpreet has to find his own path because only then will be able to value it. Every day you meet different people. I can only give contact numbers to him but I will not be able to call people and ask them to give him work.”

Rakul signs off. “I do not let Fridays affect me at all. If a film is successful, it will open more avenues for me or else I will have to work 100 times harder to get the right subject. I do not let a success go to my head and failure to slow me down or affect me. I am happy that I am able to do what I am doing right now because many people do not know what their passion is actually and only are living for the sake of living. I am getting to live what my passion is.”

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