MUMBAI MIRROR (February 22, 2019)

When National Award-winning actress Prerana aka Rinku M Rajguru from Sairat stepped out to write her first HSC exam paper on Thursday, virtually the whole state wished her “all the best”. She arrived at the Tuljabhavani College of Arts and Commerce in her home village, Tembhurni, with her parents shortly before noon. Fans had gathered to catch a glimpse of their favourite heroine and cheered, “Do well”, “We pray for you” as she stepped out of the car and walked quickly in. A police posse requested by college authorities ensured her uneventful entry into the campus, which will be her exam centre for the next fortnight.

An external Arts faculty student, she will be appearing for papers in English, Marathi, Political Science, Economics, History and Geography. In 2017, Rinku had cleared her SSC exams with 66.40 per cent marks, two years after here acting debut. She wanted to beocme a doctor but ended up becoming a star at 14 and had to quit school, appearing for both exams as an external student.

A chance meeting with National Award-winning director Nagraj Manjule resulted in the role of Aarchi in Sairat, which set a new benchmark for regional films. The film has already been made in Hindi, Bengali, Odiya, Kannada and Punjabi besides being dubbed in several languages. Rinku’s next screen turn is in the Marathi film Kagar, due to release shortly.