RAKUL GYAN: DON’T LET STRESS RULE YOU!

On a visit to National PG College in the city, Rakul told students how she was teachers’ pet and got good marks despite being a silent naughty girl

Actor Rakul Preet Singh made an instant connection with students of the National Post Graduate College during her stay in the state capital. She had shot her last OTT release extensively here in Lucknow.

The De De Pyar De actor gave the students some handy tips.

“Hum log, bina matlab ka bahut stress lete hai — uski zaroorat nahi hai (We take undue stress in life and don’t need to do that). I was also once a college goer like you and now I can say that we take too much stress related to exams and other things. Life has way more challenges ahead! At every stage of life, you feel that your problems are the biggest but it’s not like that. Much later one realises that problems were not as big as you made them out to be. I think you can live a good life without stress!”

Rakul says she has been a ‘good student’ and a ‘silent naughty’ girl. “Yes, I have bunked classes but I’m not promoting it. Whatever classes I used to attend, I did so with full sincerity and used to get good marks, and I was favourite of my teachers,” she says. Pointing towards faculty members, she says, “Aap kitne bhi bade ho jaao, principal and teachers se dar lagta hi hai!

She played a chemistry teacher in her last release Chhatriwali but in real life, her favourite subject has been Maths. “Till Class 12, I used to feel that Maths is my favourite so I decided to do BSc Hon but in college

I got to know that it was so tough but still I liked it. Also, when I was studying, I was modelling as well and balancing both well.”

The actor stressed the need to talk things out. “Since 2018, sex-education has been made a part of our curriculum but the problem is that we don’t take it seriously — either we laugh or avoid it. I was also like that as a teenager but it’s very important. So, when you people grow up you don’t face challenges. We talk a lot about physical, heart and now mental health, but when it comes to sexual health, we shy away from it. It’s very important to talk and discuss about it.”

On her Lucknow experience, she says, “I was here for a month during the shooting and from chikankari to chicken we experienced everything — galawati kebabs, samosas and chaat... My makeup artist gained eight kg during our stay here.”

Rakul loves the energy she gets during college visits. “Students connect with issues very well if they are explained logically. I will say they are aware but these conversations need to go to second tier cities and rural areas. In fact, we need to have more films on sex-education as it is a matter of women’s health.”

At NPGC, she was welcomed by the principal Prof Devendra Kumar Singh. She also shook a leg with the students.

PHOTOS: DEEPAK GUPTA/HT Actor Rakul Preet Singh taking a selfie with the students of National PG College on her visit to Lucknow on Friday.