Thank God it's Friday? Nope

Mona

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This October is a special month for actor Rakul Preet Singh. Not only it’s her birthday month but also she has two major releases slated – Doctor G and Thank God. A doctor in one and cop in the other, this Sardarni from Delhi is happy playing different characters as much as delivering dialogues in different languages. Her exposure to films in Kannada, Telugu, Tamil and, of course, Hindi has made her multi-lingual.

“To be an actor was always on my mind,” opens up the actor, who got into the entertainment industry post her graduation. Fortune favoured and starting with a Kannada film, in the last decade and little more, she has established herself in the entertainment industry. Doctor G is one project that she says had her hooked from the word go. “I was excited about Doctor G right from the narration. An interesting script, amazing co-stars like Shefali Shah, Sheeba Chaddha and Ayushmann Khurrana, the entire journey was very good.”

Preparing for her role as Dr Fatima, Rakul worked with a diction coach. Her character speaks with the Lucknovi Hindi-Urdu touch. Also, along with other cast members, she had attended workshops on the medical terminology and handling of tools inside an OT. “A gynaecologist was always on the sets to ensure that we got it right.” This Anubhuti Kashyap’s debut directorial releases on October 14. Rakul says she does get Friday jitters. “The night before the release, it is very difficult to sleep.”

Ten days after Doctor G, her other film Thank God is slated for release. “Both of these films are very different from one another,” she says.

Cinema or OTT, does the platform matter to her? “Of course. We all grew up with our love for cinema. And, we love to watch ourselves on big screen. That aside, digital medium comes with its own advantages. And I believe both can co-exist.” Cuttputlli, in which Rakul was opposite Akshay Kumar, saw an OTT release in September.

Given her exposure in regional cinema, Rakul considers herself half Telugu and half Punjabi. “I am, in fact, an Indian. My father was in the Army and I grew up all over India and now my work has given me the similar exposure.”

She admits it wasn’t easy working considering the language barrier. “It was a struggle to begin with but now I can safely say I speak Telugu as good as Punjabi!” Rakul considers herself fortunate to have worked with the biggest names – actors and directors – in South Indian cinema. And she has a whole list of people she wants to work with. “I want to work with every actor and director, over and over again,” she laughs.

Being an actor, she was prepared for lack of privacy in personal life. “Every profession comes with its set of challenges. I love to focus on the positives, the love you get an actor is immense, and I am grateful for that.”

Her bond with Punjab is special, “My mother belongs to Punjab and we have relatives there. My love for food comes from my Sardarni genes,” she laughs.

As much a foodie, she is also a fitness freak. “I love sports, trekking, yoga, exploring different places, gathering new experiences and connecting with nature.”

Above them all is her love for films, she enjoys exploring different genres. A sucker for rom-coms, she hopes to land a role in one soon. Till then it’s Doctor G followed by Thank God, in cinemas near you!