Showing posts with label Patralekhaa father. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Patralekhaa father. Show all posts
I don’t know why Patralekhaa didn’t get enough deserving work after Citylights-Rajkummar Rao
8:10 AM
Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; December 10, 2024)
In an industry that’s known to be tumultuous, Rajkummar Rao and Patralekhaa have been each other’s rock-solid support. In an exclusive interview with us, Raj and Patra, who celebrated their third wedding anniversary last month, speak about navigating ups and downs in the competitive world of movies, and how their personal losses have changed their outlook towards life. Read on...
Both IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack and Stree 2 did well. Patra, does it feel rewarding to finally get acknowledged?
Patra: When you are not doing well, you hustle but when your partner or sibling isn’t doing well, that makes it more difficult. You feel you can’t do anything about it. That was Raj’s journey with me. Raj was seeing success after success, and he would never talk about it, but I knew that my journey pained him a bit. Recognition for me has come in bits and pieces. It’s always good to get that validation. After Citylights (2014), mujhe itna saara pyaar mila for IC 814, which released this year. It took me 10 years!
Raj: She is extremely talented. I am not saying this because she is my partner, but I am inspired by her as an actor. I don’t know why she didn’t get enough deserving work after Citylights. I’m there for her, but acting is a personal lonely process. People can be around, but only you have to deal with your struggles. She had to fight it out herself. We follow this practice where she reads my reviews, and I read hers. When I started reading comments like how she was the show stealer in the series, I kept sending her the screenshots proudly.
How important is it for you to retain your individuality and independence in your marriage?
Patra: Raj is my best friend, we grew up together. Initially, we were stuck at the hip. We did everything together. He then got busy with his shoots. I still remember, when he would watch some film or series without me, I would ask him, ‘Why did you do that? That’s cheating!’ I soon realized that this will be our normal. He’s the most down to earth person I know. Even after finding success, he’s the most basic guy. I used to think movie stars are supposed to be a certain way, he’s anything but that. Sometimes, I feel people take advantage of his simplicity, but I feel he’s aware of that and allows it. He likes to be at peace. If his call time is 5 am, he wakes up at 2.30 am, does his pooja, meditates and then leaves. Whether he gets to sleep for 45 mins or 2 hours, he won’t miss his schedule. He carries his late parents’ photo and my late father’s photo along with his little mandir wherever he goes.
Raj: We are who we are because of our blessings. I can’t change myself. That’s too much of an effort. When I joined the industry, I didn’t get a memo that you need to be a certain way. Your work is all that matters. My mother was extremely spiritual and religious so that grew on me. She would get up at 4 am in Gurgaon and bhajans would play in the house. I started inclining towards it. It helps me keep calm and reminds me who I am. Nobody.
Losing your parents, then losing your dog Gag a (this October), who was an integral part of your family... how has personal loss changed you as a person?
Raj: I have got more clarity in life after enduring this pain. I lost my parents, Patra’s dad is no more, and we lost Gaga recently. Having seen death so closely, I have realized you don’t need to take life so seriously. You don’t need to constantly plan and be sure of your future. Live your life and do good karma. When death comes knocking, all the things that you stress about, won’t even matter. If Stree 2 does well, I am happy, but I don’t take success or failure to heart anymore. Everything is just a phase, and the show must go on.
Patra: I saw my dad working hard for the last 35 years of his life. He would work for 14-15 hours a day. He had gone for work to Shimla where he had a stroke. Whoever checked him didn’t know what it was. By the time I reached the hospital, he had passed away. There were no doctors around. He was just lying there. Before this incident, I used to be unhappy about why things weren’t going my way career wise, why work isn’t happening, etc. When I saw him there, I realized, work is just a part of your life, not your whole life. Your work doesn’t decide your worth. That was my biggest learning from the death I saw so closely. With Gaga, she was our anchor. For the seven years that she was with us, she taught us so many things. It may sound strange to some but losing a pet is as painful as losing a parent. With grief, you just have to go through it. You can’t snowboard into work. There’s no escape from it.
Has OTT democratized the casting process, or do you find streaming platforms still demanding big faces?
Patra: Even OTT needs viewership that must transition to subscription. Following this pattern hasn’t left the process democratic anymore. Initially, it was a lot better. Today, an actor is known by his social media following. Chances of you bagging a role are stronger if you are popular on social media.
Raj: I don’t get this logic. I have heard this myself ki, ‘Iske itne saare followers hai toh isko film mein lenge toh it will help the film’. Being an actor and a social media star are two very different things. How much following you have on social media says nothing about your acting skill. If actors were to be judged based on their social media following, Kim Kardashian should have been the biggest Hollywood star. Ranbir Kapoor is not even on social media, and he is a solid actor! It doesn’t matter if you are trained or not, what matters is whether you are talented. An actor must be deserving of the time an audience invests in them.
The perception is that the women in our industry are expected to look a certain way, but that, to some extent, applies to men as well. Raj, there were speculations on what procedures you may or may not have undergone. What are your thoughts on this?
Raj: Nobody forces you to do it. Films are a visual medium, so if you want to look nice, why not? To each his own. I only see this happening here. When I was promoting my film Srikanth, people would do my interview and only this portion (chin question) would get highlighted. As if koi aur baat hi nahi hai karne ke liye. You think Brad Pitt looks this way at 60 without doing anything to his face? It’s about taking care of yourself. Our face is our tool as actors. This is what we sell, and we must take care of it. It has to go for servicing and fixing from time to time. You should do whatever gives you confidence and makes you happy.
Patra: If something is making you happy, why not? It’s very subjective. If a line or a wrinkle is bothering you and you want to get Botox done, it’s fine. If you want to lose or gain weight, you do that. It’s easy for people to sit around and pass comments that isnay yeh kyu kara, woh kyu karwaya? But it takes a lot of confidence to stand in front of the camera knowing crores of people will be watching and scrutinising you.
All I do is sit quietly, says Patralekhaa on coping with her father’s death
8:16 AM
Syeda Eba Fatima (HINDUSTAN TIMES; December 19, 2022)
Patralekhaa calls 2022 “a twister” as we approach the end. “It has been an amalgamation of so many things — moving on from dad’s death, starting a new journey with Raj (actor Rajkummar Rao) and being in a really great phase in my career,” says the actor. Talking about her father’s unexpected death in April, she shares, “He had travelled to Shimla for some work where he suffered a haemorrhage. My family and I could not make it in time. So many things were left unsaid, and those will always linger in my mind. I’m still trying to come to terms with it all. All I do is sit quietly; sometimes I talk to my mother, sister, or Raj about it.”
Six months after her father died, the Citylights (2014) actor married her co-star from the same film, actor and long-time partner, Rao. “We could have done the wedding after a year or so, but my mother did not want to postpone it. She said that my father would have been the happiest to see me getting married. So we went ahead. Also, postponing it wouldn’t have lessened the grief.”
On the work front, Patralekhaa has four projects set for release next year: “All in all, I am enjoying this phase in my career as I am getting opportunities to play versatile roles; in completely different kinds of projects, thanks to OTT,” she ends.
My parents are in Shillong… I have been panicking-Patralekhaa
8:23 AM
Actress Patralekhaa informs that she has been paranoid ever since Meghalaya registered its first Covid-19 death on Wednesday
Ankita Chaurasia (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 18, 2020)
She has been in lockdown in Mumbai for a month now, but the Coronavirus scare struck home when the North-Eastern state of Meghalaya registered its first Covid-19 death. The deceased, a 69-year-old doctor from a city hospital, passed away on Wednesday. “My parents are in Shillong and I have been panicking ever since. It’s not about just one case; it’s the people who have come in contact with the infected person,” admits an agitated Patralekhaa, confessing that news reports have added to her paranoia. “My brother is there too, so my parents won’t have to venture out for groceries, but I’m still worried.”Insisting that besides physical concerns, there’s a mental health aspect that needs to be addressed too during the pandemic, the actress points out that she has never seen her father sit at home. “Even on Sundays, he’s working in his firm. Time slips by when you are busy, but not having anything to do adds to the stress,” states Patralekhaa who has set a timetable to account for all her waking hours since day 1 of the lockdown.
The self-confessed “spoilt hostel kid” was in a fix when she sent her cook on leave 10 days before she was shut in. She’s learnt cooking watching YouTube videos, starting with a simple dal palak with quinoa dish to healthier versions of chocolate cakes. “Of course, there were some misadventures along the way. I don’t want to be reminded of my first attempt at a dosa or a flourless chocolate cake,” she laughs.
Patralekhaa, who binges on online content often, has got back to reading now and already finished Conversations with Mahavtar Babaji. “It was a breezy read, now, it’s Ira Mukhoty’s Heroines which is insightful,” shares the actress, who has also reconnected with cousins, aunts and long-lost school friends. “We play Ludo in the evenings. I just won a round,” she brags.
And what about beau Rajkummar Rao? Patralekhaa turns evasive, refusing to discuss the subject. However, pictures speak louder than words. On Friday she shared a video of Raj giving her a hair trim with the caption, “Jahan chhaah wahan raah.”
‘Don’t get married’ was a family diktat-Patralekhaa
7:55 AM
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; April 3, 2018)
Four years into the relationship, Patralekhaa says she has cracked the formula of going out on dates with her famous boyfriend Rajkummar Rao, without him being hounded by fans. “I ask him to wear a medical mask when we’re stepping out,” she says, bursting into peals of laughter. Jokes aside, she says she is proud of how Rao has steadily broken into the top league of actors.
Gearing up for her third Bollywood release — Nanu Ki Jaanu — in four years, Patralekhaa has been measured in selecting her projects. Ask her if Rao’s success puts pressure on her to perform and she says, “He can never be my competition, he is my inspiration. Imagine having to be under the pressure of matching up to him, that would be a crazy place to be in.”
The past two years have been dotted with rumours about their impending marriage. But Patralekhaa asserts they are in no hurry to tie the knot. I don’t see myself getting married for the next six to seven years. We both have too much to achieve. Our marriage, when it happens, will be beautiful. We will enjoy a two-month-long honeymoon and see the world.”
She cheekily points out how stories about the duo keep oscillating between them tying the knot and their break-up. “According to those stories, we keep having break-ups in the lobby of our building,” she laughs before adding, “We opened up about our relationship at the beginning with everyone, but I never expected to hear such vile things about us.”
For now, her career is her focus. “My father always told me that marriage isn’t a prerogative. I’d see friends tying the knot at 21, but my family never put that pressure. ‘Don’t get married’ was a family diktat.”
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