Hindustan Times (Patna) - Hindustan Times (Patna) - Live
‘I WASN’T AWARE OF SIDE EFFECTS OF FILM CHOICES’
Life — both personal and professional — is the sum of all your choices. And for actor Patralekhaa, who has so far chosen offbeat projects, the thought of how taking up a certain film can impact the course of her career has never crossed her mind. Her Bollywood debut, CityLights (2014), was about a poor farmer from Rajasthan, who comes to Mumbai in search of livelihood. She played the role of a mother in it. Asked if she ever considered her choices a risk, Patralekhaa says, “I think in the past five or six years, a lot of things have changed. Six years back, I played a mother in CityLights. I was just 24 then. People like to make their debut with a more conventional role. But at 24, I didn’t realise what could be the [impact].”
Not one to weigh her projects on a barometer of acceptance, the actor adds, “If you see my films, I’ve never really done that... Maybe since I’m not from the industry nor did I grow up here, every opportunity I’ve got, I took it because it was another job for me. I never understood the side effects of it.”
The 29-year-old points out that after CityLights, she again picked up “different” films such as Love Games (2016) and Nanu Ki Jaanu (2018), apart from a web series. Last year, the actor was seen in Badnaam Gali — an OTT film on surrogacy.
“With Badnaam Gali also, I didn’t go with what the impact would be. I really liked the film, the script, the people associated with it, and I really liked playing a pregnant mother. It was quite an enriching experience,” says Patralekhaa, who is actor Rajkummar Rao’s girlfriend.
Up next, the versatile artiste is out to break her own convention. “I’m doing a film with Luv Ranjan (filmmaker). It’s a mad comedy set in Punjab, and we’ll start rolling in February. It’s going to be for the youth of the country, and I’m quite excited about it as it’s going to be the most commercial film I’ve done till date. Let’s see how people react to it,” says the actor. Patralekhaa is also gearing up for a new series in the web space, but she remains tightlipped about it.
Since I’m not from the industry nor did I grow up here, every opportunity I’ve got, I took it because it was another job for me. I never understood the side effects of it.
PATRALEKHAA ACTOR