Rakul Preet Singh is one of the busiest actresses in the industry. Coming up this week is Runway 34 where she will be pairing up with Ajay Devgn once again after De De Pyaar De. The actress also has Doctor G with Ayushmann Khurana, an espionage drama tentatively titled Cinderella with Akshay Kumar, Thank God with Sidharth Malhotra and will headline a project titled Chhatriwali.
In an exclusive interview, Rakul talks about completing a decade in the industry, how she doesn’t get bored of working on films, the experience of working with Ajay Devgn and Amitabh Bachchan and also opens up about her relationship with beau Jackky Bhagnani.
You have a half a dozen films lined up for release, is there ever a fear of probably becoming complacent in a cozy spot?
I don’t operate with a sense of fear because if we do, then obviously you’re going to invite that energy in your personal and professional sphere. I am just grateful for what I have and what I have achieved. Also, I keep telling myself that I will keep reinventing, I will keep doing things. I’ve been in the industry for 10 years and so far I am enjoying it and I am doing films that the audiences don’t get bored of watching. And I believe that there is never any planning that works in the film industry. It is the hits and the box office that decide your fate and the dedication and hard work that will decide your destiny.
In that case, how do you deal with the failure of Attack at the box-office?
I feel that the reviews of Attack were great. Largely everyone that I know who watched the film thought it was cool. There was no problem that you couldn’t sit through the film and the audience felt that whatever was happening on-screen was believable. I still stand by the film. I feel there are a lot of factors sometimes and unfortunately box office decides the fate of the film. A good thing that OTT has done is that a good film gets it’s due. Take the example of Shershaah. If it would have released in theaters when they had merely opened, it wouldn’t have done the numbers and the buzz it created through OTT. Coming back to Attack, I am proud of the project and I hope when it comes on a streaming platform, more people will watch it.
It’s been almost a decade now in the industry. Being someone who didn’t have any connections, do you kind of have a sense of belonging?
Absolutely, this is my place. I mean, where else would I have been? Both the South and Hindi industries have given me a lot of love and shaped me into the person that I am. The audiences have given so much love. So of course this is my place to be. I’m happy with the choices that I have made. I’m always someone who is content but at the same time I am never fully satisfied because obviously there’s always a crave and hunger for good projects. I am a hungry actor who wants to keep evolving with different kinds of films and wants to keep experimenting with various genres including a masala film or a film like Runway 34. So I want to be able to strike a balance because I believe I can do it. So, for me, the idea is to keep pushing myself.
But is there ever a time when you feel that you would want to take a break?
No, I don’t want to take a break (smiles). I like my work. I have done 40 films and I am enjoying what I am doing. It’s like waking up and going for a break (laughs). When I need it, I go for a vacation.
Talking about Runway 34, how was it working with Ajay Devgn the actor and also the director?
He was amazing! He has ghost-directed many films and is technically brilliant. In the cockpit simulator, he had actually managed to put seven cameras without any of them coming into the frame of the other six! I have never in my life seen this either in my South films or over here! As he is an actor himself, he knew we could not re-create the panic again and again, so he wanted it all at one go! But he would give us full space to improvise. He would tell the emotion and leave me to play with.
Were you nervous working with Amitabh Bachchan?
I am not someone who gets intimidated. I was waiting to work with Amitabh sir and if at that moment, I had given in, it would have been my failure. When you know that a co-actor is way better than you, you naturally do your best. I was excited to meet him, share that energy. He is so down to earth. He is not punctual but pre-punctual. And sir never goes to his van, he is not tuned like that from yesteryear, when there would be no vans! He remains on sets, observing props, rehearsing lines, chatting with people, and even after pack-up, he does his markings for the next day! You realize that he is what he is because he has never taken his work for granted! And so you know how you should be too.
While most actors decided to keep their relationships secret, you came out openly about your relationship with Jackky Bhagnani.
I believe it all depends on the kind of person you are. Many people believe that if you are in a relationship, you don’t need to hide it and say ‘We’re just friends.’ Everyone is aware of the relationship. That’s what brings respect to the relationship. It’s as normal as other relationships. It is a part of my life and it exists. Just like I have my parents, and my brother, I have someone special in my life. We are two individuals who respect each other and have our own journey. The beauty of a good relationship is that neither partner should have to change their life for the other. You co-exist, you don’t change your life. You complement each other.
Lastly, I’d like to ask you, your Twitter bio reads actor, the process of turning dreams into reality. Is the process still on?
I think the process never stops. It’s an everyday process. It’s living your dream every day and evolving. I don’t believe in setting a bar for myself, because when you do that, you are setting a limitation. So even if it’s a 1% growth every day, just keep chasing it every single day.
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