Sense and Sensibility

Tall, sprightly and enthusiastic, Rakul is here to change the way things are done in showbiz. From her journey in Bollywood and the south Indian film industry, to her treasured childhood memories, the actor bared it all to us, giving us more than just a glimpse into her life. Rakul on screen is phenomenal, but off-screen is grounded and her world is as simple as it gets. As we wrapped up the shoot, we couldn’t help but appreciate her work ethic, which was devoid of the starry air that one would expect of one of an actress who has made here mark in the film industry barring the language barriers and putting haters to shame. The chirpy actor reveals what makes her feel sexy and what she likes about her co-actors such as Allu Arjun, Sidharth Malhotra and Ajay Devgn. Also, in this exclusive rendezvous, she talks to us about her love for cinema, the concept of love and finding her ideal man . Edited excerpts…

Growing up, who did you admire the most and what inspired you to become an actor?

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I’ve looked upto many people while growing up, because I believe that there are so many individuals who have achieved so much. But most importantly, I have always looked upto my father. He is such a learned and aware man, who knew everything be it the stock market, current affairs or even the environment. Acting for me happened all of a sudden when my mom, suggested that I take part in the Miss India beauty pageant, and thereafter it all happened organically.

How was your initial journey on the silver screen? What were the challenges that you faced?

It’s been beautiful, and luckily its consistently been an upward journey through and through. I do not abide by the term - challenges, as it gives it a negative connotation, but I think when I started out, it was a brand new field for me, where I got the opportunity to explore and learn about a whole new world, and it made me focus on my goal.

You have completed a decade in the industry. Did you ever think that things will work out like this? Has failure ever intimidated you?

I started out in 2009, but after completing my graduation I entered the industry in 2012. I never thought that whether or not it would work out or not, but I never set out by doubting myself. I always believed in myself, and my instincts.

Failure does not intimidate be rather it is a great teacher, after which you do learn. You learn to respect and value yourself and your craft after it.

You started your career with modelling and won five beauty pageant titles. Do you think beauty queens still have an edge over others?

Beauty pageants in general groom you in way that acts as a launch pad for the industry that you know nothing about. And that’s how many outsider’s get a chance to be a part of this business, by being on the larger map. But at the end of the day to be a proficient actor, you need a lot more than just beauty pageants. You need that passion, zeal and eccentricity towards your craft.

Tamil, Kannada and Telugu, you seem to have crossed language as well as awe-inspiring performance barriers. How has the experience in each industry been?

It’s been a beautiful experience and I have never treated them as different industries, rather I seek on being a part of different projects, films and characters. Whether its Telegu, Tamil, Kannada or Hindi, I want to do good films and play different characters. My first film, Gilli, was in Kannada and Telegu has been my home language, for which I am extremely grateful; they always gave me so much of love and the industry welcomed me as one of their own.

I am just a couple of films old in the Tamil film industry, and what I really believe is that whatever the industry or project might be, it all comes down to the people that you work with, how good is your team and I’ve been fortunate to have worked with all good teams.

The song Haiya Ho from the film Marjaavaan was a chartbuster with over 12+ million views. And you received an ecstatic response for it from the audiences. How was your experience?

It’s always very humbling to receive a good response for your songs, and especially in Indian cinema, where our songs define us completely. It is always a difficult feat to recreate an old song that was such a big hit. But I had a blast shooting for it and I was very happy with the audience’s response.

How are you planning to balance Hindi and Southern cinema? Tell us, how do you prepare yourself for an onscreen role transition? What is your process?

I try my best to balance them out equally but recently I have slowed down my work down south, because I cannot shoot work on 4 different films in Telegu, Tamil and Hindi. But now the I am happy to explore the realm of Hindi cinema, as it’s a new professional space for me.

And when it comes down to how I prepare for a role, well that entails a little bit of homework, where I often study the characters body language or focus more on their characteristics.

In De De Pyaar De, you played a girl who falls for a man who is double her age. Can you really love someone like him in real life?

Age is just a number, it’s all about how the person is and how compatible I am with him. In the end it all boils down to how we are together.

You have been paired up with co-stars such as Ram Charan, Allu Arjun, Ravi Teja and Sidharth Malhotra. Was there any moment when a sighting of a celebrity crush was felt?

Jokingly, Rakul says, “Well most of my co-stars are married men, and I do not generally get a crush on a married man. But all of them are extremely polite, kind and respectful”. And Sid is a dear friend. I haven’t really had a crush on any of my co-stars as of yet.”

The industry has been struggling with gender - based wage inequality for a long time. What is your take on this?

Well, there is a gender based wage inequality in every profession across the globe, but the good thing is that there is a dialogue about it now. And I am hoping that one day we do not have to talk about it anymore. But I feel when there is a female-oriented role such as, Saand Ki Aankh which was completely riding on Bhumi Pednekar and Taapsee Pannu, then the pay should be higher. I believe it all comes down to what you bring to the table and the performance as an actor, which in the end would suffice your pay.

We have seen you be cast alongside the versatile Tabu, and the Bollywood newbie Tara Sutaria. How do you bond with your onscreen female co-stars?

I have always been a people’s person, and bond pretty well with everyone. I completely adore Tabu ma’am and have always looked up to her, in fact the first song that I sang was from one of her films. We often make plans to catch up soon and meet each other, but more often than not they don’t work out because of both of ours busy schedules. Tara is a very sweet girl, though we did not get more than 5-6 days to shoot with each other, but while we were around each other for those couple of days, it was a very pleasant experience.

You have been appointed as the brand ambassador for Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao programme by Telangana State Government. How do you envision the future of the girl child in the Indian society? What positive steps have you taken towards achieving the same?

It’s an absolute honor to chosen as the brand ambassador for such a noble cause. I have personally interacted with a lot families, and it is definitely an eye-opener to view this disparity amongst the genders. There are people in the high-society who are not even aware of the hardships and concerns that the masses at large are facing. And these are the people who live in the interiors of the country and are not aware of the awareness schemes that the government has for the protection of their child’s rights. It’s high time that we stop viewing a girl child as a burden and begin valuing her by providing her the right to education.

But now the positive step is that we have begun engaging in a dialogue wherein we discuss these problems and hopefully will work to resolve them in the near future for generations to come. Along with the Telengana government we have created a positive change and aim at doing the same in the future as well.

If you had the power to customise the perfect man. What qualities would you add or remove in the love of your life?

I love this question. I sincerely hope that I had the ability to customise my perfect man. But what I truly seek is a man who is genuine, has a good sense of humour, has a drive and passion for life and also follows a healthy and discipline lifestyle. Do let me know if there is someone who fits the bill.

When we talk about relationships what makes you happier in the long term, sharing or sacrificing?

I am a believer in the philosophy of true love and I feel that the mere term has now lost all its meaning. Today we use the word so casually that it’s just comes out to be more temporary rather than fulfilling, and I truly believe that in order to maintain a successful relationship, the feeling of contentment with you partner is a must. As no two people are alike, making sacrifices for the one you love, respecting them, and paying attention to their small likes and dislikes results in a bond that blossoms for years to come.

It is said “today’s actions are tomorrow’s results”. We would like to know how do you manage your fitness regimen despite your busy schedule?

I truly abide the statement above. And I believe that what you sow is what you reap, and I do not take care of my body today, it won’t take care of me few years down the line. I prioritise my workout in such a way that even though, I am tied up while shooting, I make it a point to workout.

How do you unwind after a long day? What is your mantra of relaxation?

Unwinding is the most important part of my day. Yoga, working out and hanging out with my friends helps me do that; a great meal or furthermore reading also helps me unwind after a long day. And I don’t think that you get worked up when you follow your dreams and do something that you love, so I don’t exerted while I work.

Social media is a great way for fans to connect with their dream celebrities and vica versa. But how do you deal with Internet trolls?

Social media has its pros and cons, it surely gives us a medium to be connected to our fans but I don’t get affected by trolls, because I do not read them or give them much heat. But whenever I do glance at the comments which aren’t that positive or are extremely personal remarks, I feel bad for the person trolling me rather than feeling bad for myself. Just because they can hide behind a digital medium does not actively give them the authority to shove someone down.

Tell us something about your future projects?

There are a couple of films that I am working on at the moment, also there is an upcoming film with Arjun Kapoor and is being directed by Kaashvie Nair. I have also signed 3 other Hindi films, that I am not supposed to talk about as of now, but their details will be out soon. Indian 2 by S.Shankar along with a Telegu film in which I’ve been cast alongside Nithin, is on floors.

How was your experience with FHM India?

I loved the entire shoot, the concept was great it exuberated all things - fashion, style and oomph.

From the November-December 2019 issue of FHM India.