Raashii Khanna’s villainous turn in the web series Rudra - The Edge Of Darkness has not just startled viewers, but her too. The actor admits she had her share of apprehensions about how audiences may react to her avatar, considering how she’s mostly done goody-goody roles.

“My character was very grey. Even though you want to play other roles, the Indian milieu will judge you and they can really hate you. So somewhere inside me, I was like if they hate me, I will have to overcome it by probably making them love me in some [other] way,” she says.

The 31-year-old adds that taking up the role was definitely a risk, but something she was game to face. “It was very risky to play a girl like her, and enter the Hindi space with that character. I am quite a risk taker that way. I was waiting for a role like this. You get bored of playing the same pretty girl being loved, and not really making a mark, apart from love stories. It’s very rare that you get to play a character like mine...We, actors, are nothing without risks.” she asserts.

Set to be seen next alongside actor Shahid Kapoor in the upcoming web show directed by Raj and DK, as well as Yodha opposite actor Sidharth Malhotra, Khanna says the response to her performance in Rudra has not really sunk in.

“I am in Zen mode. I am constantly shooting, so I don’t think I have had the time to look at it. My family and friends are shocked. They have already seen me in South films, where I was always the girl-next-door, but suddenly they went, ‘Oh my God’ after seeing me as a vamp. It was great coming from them. Even while watching the show, I myself couldn’t believe I did that. That’s not who I am,” she says, adding, “The only way you can grow as an actor is by pushing boundaries. I am on the correct path. Even my directors in Yodha said that I look completely different.”

When we get on a call with Raashii Khanna, who is promoting her upcoming show Rudra - The Edge Of Darkness, our conversation begins on an unusual subject — luck versus hard work. In 2022, the actor has three marquee projects. She kicks off the year with the crime thriller that marks Ajay Devgn’s OTT debut, before moving on to Raj-DK (Raj Nidimoru, Krishna DK)’s series headlined by Shahid Kapoor and Vijay Sethupathi. She will round off the year with Sidharth Malhotra and Disha Patani’s Yodha.

So what’s the secret that is propelling her in the right direction — luck or hard work? “It is luck,” she says, without skipping a beat. “Now, I often hear people say, ‘Arre, yeh kahan se kahan pahuch gayi.’ I am working hard but that’s not just it. I have so many actor friends who are trying to get roles, but opportunities aren’t coming their way. Personally, I am hard on myself. I want to utilise every day to the fullest so that when I look back, I have the assurance that I gave it my best.”

The actor began her chapter in showbiz with Madras Cafe in 2013. In the nine years since, Khanna has not featured in another Hindi film, instead making her presence felt in the south movie industry. “I didn’t get the kind of roles I wanted to do in Bollywood. In the south also, it wasn’t a smooth sail initially. There was an entire year when I did nothing. I didn’t want to sign up for films that wouldn’t do anything for me. I have always been a secure actor, and I didn’t view Bollywood as a destination. I decided that I will do Bollywood only when the role is that good.”

The Disney+ Hotstar series, which is an official adaptation of the British crime drama Luther, delivered on that count. Khanna reprises the role essayed by Ruth Wilson in the original, a sociopath helping Devgn’s cop character to understand the crimes. “I didn’t want to watch Luther. I wanted to create the character of Aaliyah all by myself, without taking any inspiration from the original. I play a sociopath, and most crime films we watch are based on psychopaths. There’s a world of difference between the two. Sociopaths have emotions. I watched Hannibal [2001] and read psychology books to create the character. I auditioned alongside over 200 people. This is a role that doesn’t need a pretty face to fill a space, doesn’t need a star. After so many years, someone said, ‘Chalo act karke dikhao.’”

What does she hope to achieve with this show? She takes a pause before saying, “I don’t want to be known for my face and my body. I want to be a solid actor whose versatility should be remembered. An actor is defined by what their audience thinks of them. I want to be known for holding people’s attention in good parts.”

She credits leading man Devgn for being a pillar of strength. “Before I started the show, I was told he doesn’t talk much. We needed to vibe, given the chemistry between our characters on paper. There is a war of belief systems between Aaliyah and Rudra. I remember when I walked in on day one, he was so warm and kind. We spoke about our lines and how they should be done. We all relied on Ajay sir a lot.”