Rakul Preet Singh, COVID-Negative Now, Is 'Feeling Absolutely Fine'

Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; October 11, 2022)

Her upcoming film, Doctor G, produced by Junglee Pictures, gave Rakul Preet Singh an opportunity to step into the shoes of a doc. The film revolves around Dr Uday Gupta’s (played by Ayushmann Khurrana) discomfort at practicing at the stree-rog vibhaag (gynaecology department) of a hospital and the funny incidents that unfold owing to his chauvinistic beliefs. In a conversation with us, Rakul talks about what prompted her to grab this film that releases on October 14, taking risks as an actor and believing in content-driven cinema. Read on...

Doctor G revolves around a man who feels he is stuck in the women’s world, as the only male student in the gynaecology department of a hospital. How did you react to the quirky storyline of the film when you first heard it?
When I got a call from Anubhuti (Kashyap, director), I had no idea what to expect from the narration. Midway through the narration of this campus comedy, I knew that this is one of those projects that I need to grab. I got to know about the whole world (the film was set against) through the narration and I instantly loved it. We have all seen campus dramas, but rarely have we seen any medical campus drama.

It is such a fresh approach. Though people might think differently, the fact is that some of the best gynaecologists in the world are male doctors. I thought it was such a new subject and the beauty of the script is that every character has its own charm — be it my character (Dr Fatima), Ayushmann’s character (Dr Uday Gupta), or Shefali Shah’s or Sheeba Chadha’s. They all bring in a lot to the script.

There is a certain belief that women feel comfortable consulting female gynaecologists. Personally, what has your experience been with male doctors?
Have you ever consulted a male gynaecologist? When I was a teenager, I had to see a gynaecologist and it turned out to be a male doctor. At that age, I did feel a bit shy and wondered how I would speak to him (about my problems). Luckily, I had my mom with me, and I felt okay. Then as you grow up, you mature, and today, I don’t think that way (about approaching a male gynaecologist). As I went through the process of making this film, I realised that there was a point in my life where even I thought that way, so there might be so many people who would feel the same way too. I feel a doctor is a doctor, and the credibility of a doctor doesn’t depend on their gender. The sex of the doctor doesn’t define how good the doctor is (at their practice). In case of an emergency, we want the best doctor to treat us irrespective of their gender and whatever the ailment might be — be it related to the brain, heart or whatever else. Does it then have to be different in the case of (treating) the uterus?

Contrary to what we see in the film, did you ever feel that you had to battle your way through the film industry that’s considered to be male-dominated?
I don’t think it is about a particular industry, the fact is that it is a male-dominated world! I am just happy that over the years we are seeing the change, thanks to the kind of conversations that are happening. Having said that, when I started out that thought didn’t even cross my mind. I was just happy about stepping into a new world, which is the world of my dreams! Today, we see so many women on sets — in the capacity of directors, assistant directors and in other departments, too. It is not about male or female, my only belief is that it is about your credibility, which should not be limited by your gender. We still have a long way to go, because we are a society where these conversations are limited to the cities. But nevertheless, it is the beginning and it is a good one.

So, how important is it to address socially relevant subjects like these through films to start more such conversations? Junglee Pictures is known to have successfully backed content-heavy subjects. Did it also encourage you to take up this film?
We make films to entertain people. The main agenda of a film is never to start an aandolan. But yes, through a film, which is a beautiful medium, if we can influence people’s thoughts in a subconscious way, then that’s great. As far as the latter part of your question goes, it’s always a package you look at… if there is a script that is different from usual and then you know that the production house has been successful in delivering such different concepts, it definitely gives you more confidence to believe in the script and the team. Junglee Pictures did an amazing job with, first, trusting the film and then, letting everybody create this on their own — whether as actors, directors, writers or other talents associated with the film.

Going by your choices of films lately, one can say that you have gone beyond exploring the quintessential, commercial roles. Are you at a stage where you are willing to take more risks?
Well, there’s a little bit of both. I want to be known as a versatile actor and I want to challenge myself. My endeavour is to be different in each film and not repeat myself. I don’t want to be slotted into a category. I know that I can do a De De Pyaar De and a Runway 34 at the same time; I can do a Chhatriwali and even a Doctor G. I want to showcase my talent and also keep pushing the envelope to be able to do different, diverse roles. Having said that, I want to do masala films and romantic films, too, in fact, I am dying to do a love story.