Exclusive! Rakul Preet Singh on Doctor G: A male touch and a doctor's touch are two different things

Rakul Preet Singh has become one of the busiest actors in Hindi movies this year. The actor started her year with Attack, wherein she played the role of a DRDO scientist. Soon after that, she was seen as a pilot in Runway 34. Rakul later portrayed the character of a teacher in Cuttputlli. Now, the actor is gearing up for the release of Doctor G, where we will see her as a gynaecologist. In Anubhuti Kashyap's directorial debut, the actor will be seen alongside Ayushmann Khurrana and Shefali Shah.

Ahead of the release of Doctor G, in an exclusive interview with OTTplay, Rakul Preet Singh spoke at length about the training she underwent to play a gynec, sharing the screen space with Ayushmann and Shefali Shah. The actor also spoke about the difference between a male touch and a doctor's touch, which is the main premise of the film.

Excerpts below:

Doctor G is your fourth release of the year, and there's Thank God also coming in just another two weeks. What's your current state of mind?

Well, my current state of mind is that I'm very grateful that I'm working constantly and doing the films that I like. Of course, I'm very grateful to the audience for giving me love so that I'm able to live my dream. I'm always grateful and excited right now for two releases for Doctor G in a week and then another one, so just an exciting phase. Of course, a little bit of nervous energy, hoping that people will like the film.

In Doctor G, you are playing the role of a gynaecologist. How did you prepare for this role?

I was just very excited about the role when I heard the narration. I understood what the director's vision was, and then we prepped for it. We had our gynaecology sessions with the gynec for about four days to understand the tools, the terms, the way you talk in an operation theatre, the kinds of things you say when you're doing a delivery, like a vacuum pump, what is what, just so that on set, we are well versed with the OT. There was a gynac on set to ensure that our language was absolutely correct.

Besides that, for my role specifically, Dr. Fatima speaks in very clear and understandable Hindi. So we made sure that my diction was clear. I had diction classes for an hour every day for a month before we started the film and made sure we cracked the Lucknowi Hindi.

Ayushmann Khurrana is known for being a part of films that address important issues in the most light-hearted and impactful way. So what was it about the role that you found exciting to accept?

I think it was a very well written role. When you see the film, you'll know how strong Dr. Fatima is. She's a modern woman: righteous, bold, and sassy, despite coming from a small town. So all these qualities in a small-town environment were very exciting for me to see in a character. It's not one of those roles that is just there for two scenes and songs and all of that. Dr. Fatima, Dr. Uday (Ayushmann Khurrana), and Dr. Nandini (Shefali Shah) are the three pillars of the film. They go hand in hand, so it's a very exciting role.

How was it working with both Ayushmann Khurrana and Shefali Shah?

I don't have to say that they are both powerhouse performers in their own respective ways. Ayushmann per se, I really got along very well with him because we had a lot of common things to speak about in Punjabi. He's from Chandigarh. My mom is from there. We bonded over food. Then, of course, he brings great energy to the set; he's always looking to add to the scene and make it fun and improvised. So every time you have that sort of environment, it's just easier for the actors to perform. Ayushmann is great energy to have around.

Shefali ma'am is such a nuanced actor. She's fantastic; it's just a joy to watch her perform.

When it comes to gynaecology, there is a certain notion that doctors are divided into genders. There is a male doctor and a female doctor when it comes to this term. So what do you have to say about this? This notion of what people have causes discomfort, which your film is aiming to break by showing that. A doctor is a doctor irrespective of gender.

Exactly. So you said it yourself. The idea is to say that the credibility of a doctor doesn't depend on the gender that they belong to. If we are addressing any other problem, like God forbid, a heart problem, or a skin problem, or a brain problem, or whatever, you don't think about whether any doctor is a male or a female. When it has to do with your reproductive system or your uterus, you start shying away. I think that is because of just the way that society has been, the taboo of not speaking, and we're not trying to be preachy here. But in a light-hearted manner, in a subtle way, trying to say that a doctor is a doctor, and a male touch and a doctor's touch are two different things. That's what the film is about.

I personally don't differentiate. There was a point in my life, possibly when I was a teenager, 14–15-year-old and the first time I had to go to a gynec, and the gynec was a male. You're very young at that time, and I was like, "Oh, I'm shy," and my mom was with me, so it was okay. But later, as I grew up, I don't even know when that changed. When you become mature, you start looking at things very differently. A problem is a problem, and it needs to be addressed by the best in the business.