You don't know who you really are cheering for you. And with my
character you would love to hate her but you'll end up loving her
So, when my director told me the whole story and everything, he was like you don't need any
icebreakers. Just come on set, there’s Ajay sir so he'll break it for you. He'll break the ice. I
was very nervous as I had said that you know on the first day because he's magnanimous and
the way he walks and the way he talks, it's like his personality is amazing, you know he's like
the star and I felt like this newcomer on set and I’m like
should I talk to him? What should I do?
I genuinely started feeling like I was a Telegu girl back like some two years back and I
literally felt I was living there; I was talking like them. Yeah, it
happens when you're in a certain area
I think he was very comfortable looking at my face. The first day he came I jumped and I
went to him and I said so just feel like this is home you know and he also felt very nice about
it and he was very comfortable because I was around
Hi guys this is Himesh and welcome to Pinkvilla. Today we have with us Raashii Khanna
who is all gearing up for Rudra. Welcome to Pinkvilla, Raashii its lovely having you here
Same here. Thank you.
Now my first question to you is how does it feel making a
digital debut with someone like Ajay Devgn in a series like Rudra?
So, if you would have asked me some time back probably, I wouldn't have even imagined
Ajay sir doing something like this on OTT but I think things have suddenly taken a sort of
turn of events and I think the fact that Ajay sir was doing it in the first place was exciting
enough for me to be interested in doing it. And I think it's a great show that we've finally
managed to bring together for the audience and yeah, I mean I’m pretty excited and also a
little nervous to see how the audience reacts to it.
But do you remember the time when first narration took place how did you react to the script
firstly and then how did you react when you got to know
that Ajay Devgn is playing Rudra over there?
So, the first time I knew that Ajay sir was Rudra and they were looking for somebody to play
the character that I’m playing. My name is Aaliya Choksi in the series and Alice
Morgan in the original and I hadn't seen Luther and I decided not to watch it because I didn't
want to be influenced by it, by the character and I actually auditioned for the role not a lot of
people actually know this. So they were like okay she's from the south, she's doing great
films there but we need an actor here so we have to audition, like they auditioned a lot of
other people also and I auditioned for it very happily because it really excited me because I
got this brief and I was like let me just do it my way I gave the audition, I forgot about it and
then one day they came back and they said you know we really like it and you really
like for you to come on board and that's how exactly that it happened and then I was given a
huge like, the whole narration of the whole thing and I think it was very scary because with
this character you can go either completely right or completely wrong. There's no in between
so I had to do justice to that but and the actor in me was
extremely happy that you know I got to play something so eccentric
But does it have the grey shades in it?
Ah, I think it borders on grey. It's definitely see, there's no moral stance you can take with
these characters. Because you'll feel for everyone so you don't know who you really are
cheering for you and with my character you would love to hate her but you'll end up loving
her you know so it's like that and I think that's pretty exciting.
Okay. But were there any like before you started shooting, were there any acting workshops to
break the ice between you and Ajay sir because there is a very you know interesting dynamic
that the two of you are sharing in the trailer and I’m sure there will be a lot more in the series as well
So, when my director told me the whole story and everything, he was like you don't need any
icebreakers. Just come on set, there’s Ajay sir so he'll break it for you. He'll break the ice. I
was very nervous as I had said that you know on the first day because he's magnanimous and
the way he walks and the way he talks, it's like his personality is amazing, you know he's like
the star and I felt like this newcomer on set and I’m like should I talk to him? What should I
do? But my director was extremely supportive. So, the first day he introduced me to Ajay sir
and Ajay sir met me very casually like, how are you Raashii? Come, we do the lines and I
was very surprised I was like you know he was so down to earth he was so nice and I think
that is where the ice broke and we shot an extremely important sequence that day and he was
extremely supportive and I never felt like I was working with a star, I actually felt like I was
working with an actor who's as involved and you know and he
will get you as involved in that as he is which is fabulous
Okay. And as an actor what are the challenges of dabbling
between the two industries actually for you it's multiple industries
I think the challenge is see people think it's just the
language but it really isn't because every I
think in India only every 50 to maybe 200 kilometres that you travel there's another language,
there's a different way of how people dress. So similarly in all the industries in the south also
there's always a difference between how a girl dresses up, the culture there so you have to
pick up on the slang, you have to pick up on the language, emotions as well they are
different. Like probably in a Malayalam film, you act differently, in the Tamil film you
know act differently and in Telegu so everywhere, every region has a huge milieu where you
have to adjust yourself as an actor, I think that's so exciting because I don't really belong to
the south because I’m a north Indian but I feel like I belong you know. So, I don't feel
alien anymore in any industry you know I just own it wherever I go, I try to own it as much
as I can and yeah, I mean it's pretty exciting
Okay but is it difficult to get the languages like you know the
essence of every language right when you're doing like films in multiple languages?
At least we try to. If not fully because I can never fully be a Tamilian or a Telegu I genuinely
started feeling like I was a Telegu girl back like some two years back and I literally felt I was
living there, I was talking like them, it happens when you're in a certain area
but yeah, I mean you have to consciously make that effort so
you connect with the audience there otherwise there will be no connection.
And what's your game plan like for Bollywood like what are the
films and scripts that you are looking to explore over here?
See, as every actor would want, I would also want to play characters that are out of the box.
Thankfully or by God's grace at least I feel that the first thing that I’m entering with is Rudra
where it's already out of the box so the challenge now will be to tell people that no I’m not
really a psycho that I’m playing but I’m a normal girl and maybe they'll see the range with
the films that I’m doing in the future also, maybe they'll see a certain range so I don't really
plan consciously that this is what I want to do but of course I want to be part of films of good
storytelling, of great storytelling where you know you can play a small part even if it's a
small part it should be impactful, that's my thing and let's see what happens yeah
You have Yodha with Siddharth which is produced by Dharma. How exciting is that film like
for you and you know it belongs to that action space so
can we see you as well doing those crazy actions?
I’ll leave you in surprise, I’ll leave you to it but all I can tell you is of course it’s Dharma and
it's a pretty exciting project for me and that character is completely different from what I’m
playing here. So, in that way I think it's a good thing for me so
yeah, I mean I’m definitely looking forward to it
Okay and you know there's one film which I am really excited about is Thank You which you
are doing with Naga Chaitanya and I have heard terrific things from people around the
concept of the film, it's about giving. Could you tell us the world of that film? Are you done
shooting and it's essentially a slice of life film but something on?
I have just finished shooting for it and I think it's a fabulous story, it's a fabulous film because
it talks about gratitude and the importance of gratitude in one person's life and you should
just realize that wherever you are it's because of a lot of others around you, it's not just you
alone so talk about that and yeah, it's a really feel-good film that I think people really like
And for you, as an actor is there any difference in approach when you work with say
someone of your age vis-à-vis a senior actor?
Of course, there is. I mean I think someone who's my age is probably actually it depends on
the number of films more than the age but I feel if you're as I mean if you're where I am
probably you're 30-35 films old or even sometimes people are even smarter you know the
actors are smart you can't really gauge it, but of course when you're working with a senior
actor it's much easier because I remember there were days on set when Ajay sir would come
and Rajesh sir and I would sit with him and I would say no, but I don't think this is okay and
he'll be like let Ajay sir come he said he'll make it for us like he'll just make it so easy for us.
You know he'll work on the line; he'll say okay, this is how we can tweak it. This is what we
can say. So, a lot of responsibility also lands on a senior actor's shoulder but they make it also
very easy for people like us you know which actually helps us become better as actors
Correct but for you is there any different difference in the work
culture of the multiple industries you work in any way?
I feel work culture wise it's the same. Everyone shares the same passion for cinema, everyone
wants to do the best of films, wants to tell stories so there's
not much of a difference in the work culture
And you know talking of Rudra which was the most challenging
scene for you as an actor to pull it off in this?
All are challenging for me. All were challenging. To be able to get into her skin every time
was not easy but I think my introduction scene was the most challenging one for me. It really
was you know what I’m saying when you actually see it
Correct and then there is you know you also have another web series with Shahid Kapoor
with Raj and Dk who have created you know the most
successful OTT series are at the helm of affairs how exciting is that for you? It's a quirky space so
I signed that first so for me it was like honestly, I know maybe people say it's cliche and
all but it's actually a dream come true for me. Because they came from Family Man, it's one
of the series I’ve literally binge watched and when I got to know that I would be a part of it I
was extremely excited because Shahid is also an actor that you know I’ve seen his growth,
I’ve seen how amazing he is and now at that point getting the opportunity to work with
someone like Shahid was a wonderful one and then I got to know him as a person, as an actor
and getting to work with people like Raj and Dk was actually life-changing in a way
And there was Vijay Setupathi as well in that which, I think it was your first film with him as well?
My third collaboration
So how was it to work with him on a Hindi
I think he was very comfortable looking at my face the first day he came I jumped and I went
to him and I said so just feel like this is home you know and he also felt very nice about it and
he was very comfortable because I was around you know because it was his first and Hindi
and with the language and everything and then he told me
he said I feel what you felt you know on a Tamil set
Great actor, great director, something I’m really looking forward to
And last couple of questions. Apart from all the stuff that we spoke about, what else is in the
pipeline for you? What are the discussions like in the film front for you and all across?
Right now, it's all at the discussion phase. I still have to figure my space; I still have to figure
out what exactly it is that I would really want to be signed in here because there's also a lot of
stuff in the south. So, I think now I’ll just have to balance both but wherever good
storytelling takes me you know, it can be the north, it can be the south I’m not really you
know looking at it yeah. So, let's see I mean whatever best comes from the list of things that I
get probably now I’m that at that phase where things are
coming. Earlier we had to like look for stuff so yeah, I mean it's a good phase
It has been that journey which is
Correct. And last words on Rudra before signing off?
See, I personally love thrillers so I think this is a thriller that you know it's a never before
thing on Indian OTT platform and plus Disney plus Hotstar which is already known to give
you great content right and the way we visualise this apart from the original I think that is
original in itself so I think people would really like it and obviously because Ajay sir has
never been seen in this avatar and the trailer looks pretty exciting to me so I think it's a great
it's something that the audiences will really like and something that families can enjoy
watching it with everyone at home so yeah, to all the thriller fans and to the non-thriller fans,
watch Rudra. It’s coming on 4th of march and I’m really looking forward to it and I hope you like it too.
Perfect. Thank you so much. It was lovely talking to you and
wish you all the best for Rudra and all the other stuff that you are doing.
Thank you. Thank you so much.
Hi guys, it's me, Raashii Khanna and if you like this video please, like. Share and subscribe to Pinkvilla.