Rakul Preet Singh is in great demand down South and ranks among the top actresses. The first of several films lined up for her, Jaya Janaki Nayaka, releases on August 11.
“The love story revolves around my character, Janaki, and will have typical Boyapati action,” says Rakul. “There are two variations to my role. One of them sees me as a bubbly, happy college girl, whose life changes after an incident,” says Rakul, who was admittedly immersed into the role.
“I didn’t talk to people while shooting as I didn’t want to get disconnected. In fact, at times, director Boya-pati used to say ‘the scene is over. You can laugh!’,” recalls Rakul.
Talking about life after shoots, she shares, “I leave my character on the sets and enjoy my personal life. I want to hang out with my brother, watch movies and go for my workouts.”
Rakul feels it is dangerous for an actor to emulate the characters of their films. “They can impact you, but you can’t let them take over your life. We play so many characters and if you let them affect you, you could become depressed, insecure or unhappy. I want to be a happy person,” she says.
The actress admits that she was emotional during this film and cried for the first time ever. But has she ever cried while watching a film? “Generally I don’t, but I did for Ninnu Kori,” admits Rakul, adding, “My brother was sitting next to me and passing tissues! I am a die-hard romantic, so I like happy endings.” The actress reveals that she later met Nani and team to share her experience.
With actresses like Nivetha from Ninnu Kori and Sai Pallavi from Fidaa making waves with their performances, does she feel threatened? “Not at all. In fact, I am happy that good actors are coming into the industry. Nani is a friend and when I hung out with him and Nivetha, I told her that she has done a fantastic job. If we have good actors, there will be better scripts for girls to perform. I am not insecure as I always believe in hard work, talent and God,” says the actress. She adds that she hasn’t seen Fidaa as she just returned from London after shooting for her Hindi film. Talking about Aiyaary, Rakul shares, “I gave my first ever audition to Neeraj Pandey sir in 2011. The film never happened! But now I am working with him, I feel it is destiny!”
Although the actress is busy with films in three languages, she admits that her heart belongs to Telugu films. “Even during my Hindi film shoot, I was always talking about the Telugu film industry,” she shares. When asked if actresses are getting more prominence in films these days, she says, “If you look back, there are many actresses like Sridevi, Genelia, Trisha and others who played a central part. The Telugu film industry is now happening and gets immense respect across the world. There are many new styles of films like Pelli Choopulu and Baahubali. People are also asking about SPYder. Audiences have also become adaptable to change now, which is a good thing,” says Rakul.
About her co-star Srinivas Bellamkonda, Rakul says that he has evolved as an actor. When asked if she gave him tips, Rakul retorts, “Why should I give tips to him? I am not running an acting school.” She adds that when a person like Boyapati is directing the film, no one needs tips.
