This year, Patralekhaa clocks in 10 years in Bollywood. The actress, who made her debut opposite her now-husband Rajkummar Rao in Hansal Mehta’s Citylights (2014), believes that her journey has just begun. “It has taken me 10 years to be like a fully working actor and not work for only four-five days in a year and then sit, wait, and pray to get more work,” says the Wild Wild Punjab actress.

In a conversation with us, Patralekhaa talks about her journey, not having any regrets and how lucky marriage has been for her.

Reflecting on her journey, Patralekhaa says, “10 years is a very long time. I was new to Mumbai. My friends and family did not hail from the film industry. My only point of contact was Raj (Rajkummar Rao), who I have been dating since then. But Raj’s career has been on a different path, and I don’t think I resonate with that path. Of course, he understood what I was going through, but he was really busy. He was always there, pacifying me. I went through different phases. I started painting. I had to understand what to do to make it work. At the end of it, nothing is in your hands, no matter how hard you work. If it is meant to be, it will be yours. I was very clear that I am going to work so hard that even if I fail, I wouldn’t have any regrets.”

Living with a successful actor who has only grown from strength to strength, did it ever make her question her own journey? “Initially, I would wonder, ‘Arre, even I got appreciated for this project then why did I not get similar results?’ It felt weird initially, but then you know that your life is different and you cannot compare your life with anyone else’s. I never resonated with Raj’s journey, and I am sure he doesn’t resonate with mine. I was doing whatever was being offered to me. Raj never had to reach out to people for work. His films worked, and it did all the talking. I can’t compare myself with him.”

Patralekhaa says that she is excited about the current phase in her career, which has her doing a variety of roles. Among her upcoming projects are a comedy with Varun Sharma and the series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack starring Vijay Varma and Phule with Pratik Gandhi.

“In the traditional medium, I have had filmmakers telling me that you are such a good actor, but we really don’t know where to place you,” says Patralekhaa, who believes that the OTT space offered her more scope to perform, which in turn got her more film offers.

She adds, “I’ve been the busiest since I got married (in November 2021). Which is why I feel that I should have gotten married earlier (laughs),” she says.

The actress is grateful for everything that she has got in her 10-year journey, “I have made some amazing friends here. I found my husband in this industry and city. This industry has given me a lot… it has been a package of failure and success. So, I am really content. Failure doesn’t bog me down. In fact, it has taught me patience and perseverance, and pushed me to keep working hard.”