Actor Patralekhaa, who marked her 35th birthday on Thursday in Shillong (Meghalaya), shares how good it felt to be home. “Being home always brings a sense of comfort and nostalgia, and this year feels even more meaningful because I get to share it with my loved ones in a place that has shaped so much of who I am,”she says.

Last year, the actor had one of her busiest years in Bollywood with Wild Wild Punjab and IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, and while she is grateful for that, she is looking forward with excitement to this year as she steps into a new role — that of a producer of an upcoming film titled Toaster.

Reflecting on this new journey with the production house which she co-founded with her husband, actor Rajkummar Rao, she shares, “Stepping into production is an organic extension of my love for storytelling. I wanted to create a space where inspiring stories could thrive. Raj and I have always been passionate about cinema, and through production we hope to champion stories we genuinely believe in,” and continues, “One of my motivations was to bring to life the kind of stories I want to see on screen.”

However, donning this new hat comes with its own set of challenges. “As an actor, you’re focused on your performance, but as a producer, you’re responsible for everything from script development to execution,” she says.

In her first production, Toaster, Patralekhaa did not step in as an actor. Instead, she cast Sanya Malhotra opposite Rajkummar. Ask her why and she responds, “I was very sure from the beginning that the first film that we will produce for our production house, I won’t act in it. I wanted to learn how production works, and Sanya is so talented that I am so glad I took this decision.”

But how is it like being a producer to her husband? “Raj and I have always had a great professional understanding, and this project only reinforced that. He has been incredibly supportive of my transition into production,” she ends.