Rakul Preet Singh is happy that her latest film Sardar Ka Grandson has an unmistakable Punjabi flavour

Nonika Singh

Rakul Preet Singh may not be the leading light of the film that carries the word grandson in its title. But the lovely actress, our very own sardarni to be seen in Sardar Ka Grandson shines, in her own right. Of the film that streams on Netflix today, she says, “Well, I can’t be that selfish as an actor and expect every film to hover just around me and my character.” Besides, she adds that this family film isn’t just about a grandmother and a grandson’s relationship but a gamut of characters and whole lot of us will be able to connect with the film.”

Whether the family drama is on the lines of a sugar-syrupy Barjatya production or is a cross-border tale of brotherhood, Bhushan Kumar of T-Series and the producer of the film won’t reveal the surprise. But both he and Rakul insist that the pandemic times we are living in, a film with strong family values is just the shot we need to counter the negativity surrounding us. Moreover, haven’t these testing times woken us to the priceless value of family?

Unusual times also demand ingenious methods. While the decision to stream it on OTT is only on the expected lines, about online promotions, Rakul Preet says, “We do miss person-to-person interactions but during the pandemic we can’t risk the same. Moreover, digital is the future.”

Whether a film like Sardar Ka Grandson can work on a platform whose content primarily thrives on sex and violence, Rakul quips, “I think there is an audience for all kinds of films and Sardar Ka Grandson is bound to bring a smile on everyone’s face.”

Yes, to ensure that one smile for her grandparents, “right now there is a nani I am very close to” she too can go the extra mile. She avers, “Children and grandchildren are the centre of parents/ grandparents universe and the narrative reinforces this beautiful tie and hopefully will make viewers realise its significance.” On the reel dadi Neena Gupta, who plays Arjun Kapoor’s grandmother in the film, she is all praise, “There is so much to learn from her and her experience.” As for her co-star Arjun, she beams, “Oh, he is such a brat, so much fun to be with as he lightens the mood on the sets with his crazy antics.”

Indeed, this proud Punjaban who can even read Punjabi, albeit haltingly, is happy that the film has an unmistakable Punjabi flavour and is set in Amritsar. Yet she observes, “The film will resonate with all, not just Punjabis. We hope to reach out to everyone and envelope them in the warmth of emotions.” But then the actress, who has made a seamless transition from South Indian cinema (she made her debut with Kannada film Gilli) to Bollywood, knows the universal power of emotions and arts. “Regional borders don’t exist anymore. Even at the world level, language barriers have been blurred and we are enjoying world cinema in different languages.”

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