“I am elated to be a part of such a legendary franchise,” says Rakul Preet Singh, who plays a major role in Indian 2, produced by A Subaskaran of Lyca Productions. The actress vividly remembers the impact the original Indian (1996) had on her.

“After watching it, I was like, ‘Wow, what a film’. It is one of those films that you remember for the kind of impact it had on society. I never imagined that there would be a sequel to that film and that I’d star in it. So, I’m just extremely happy to be part of such a grand film that could be the voice of the country,” she says.

Rakul is also elated that she got to tick two names off her wish list by working in the film, which is set to hit screens on July 12. “When you become an actor, there’s a checklist of people that you want to work with one day. With Indian 2, I got a chance to work with two of those people – Kamal Haasan sir and Shankar sir! I admire the work ethic of both these stalwarts in their respective spaces. On the first day, Kamal sir’s prosthetics makeup took four to five hours. We were shooting in the outdoor heat of Chennai. We were sweating without wearing any prosthetics, but Kamal sir went about it calmly. A person of that stature doesn’t need to take on so much hardship at this point in his career, but he’s pushing the boundaries with his work and that too with a happy smile,” she gushes.

She calls Shankar “a delight to work with”. “He has such clarity of thought. It’s not easy to handle so many people and such huge sets, but the calm and composed attitude with which he goes about it is just amazing,” she says.

The actress is all praise for her costar Siddharth, who she’s paired with in the film “We all know that he is a talented actor. Otherwise, it’s not easy to complete two decades in an industry that is so cutthroat. He is an extremely easy person to work with, as he is friendly, enthusiastic and always happy,” she says.

“My character in the film is that of a headstrong and focused girl. She is very sorted and clear about what she wants. She voices out whatever she feels. I relate a lot to her because parts of her are also how I am in real life,” says Rakul.