Good content will always find an audience, says Indian 2 actor Rakul Preet Singh

Rakul Preet Singh, who was seen last in John Abraham's Attack and Runway 34 (alongside Ajay Devgn and Amitabh Bachchan), believes cinema knows no language. She delivered some of her most memorable roles; be it De De Pyaar De’s Ayesha in Hindi or NGK’s Vanathi in Tamil, or Manmadhudu 2’s Avantika in Telugu. In an interview with India Today, Rakul said good films always find their audience. “They are being watched no matter what. I am a true believer that cinema has no language. It only has emotion. Wherever films are being made, they will be appreciated. It's great that South Indian films, in particular, are doing extremely well, as they are content-driven.”

Movies are released in theatres once again, but the OTT content boom doesn't show signs of slowing down. Ask Rakul if she is open to doing something on the OTT space; she says, she's game for it. “OTT is coming out with such great content. The kind of reach and experimentation that's happening right now is amazing. I'd love to explore options here, too. If something interesting comes up, I don’t want to deny it!”

Rakul was noticed in the Telugu hit Venkatadri Express (2013), though she had done a few films before. Tamil, Telugu and Hindi projects followed. She tells The Hindu, “Since I come from a non-film background, it took me three to four years to learn the ropes. I got to be a part of some good films. After a point, I did not want to do regular heroine characters. This is not to say I will not do mainstream films, but I want characters with some heft."

Over the years, filmmakers have considered Rakul for meatier roles. “With each film and each passing year, I have picked up things subconsciously and have evolved," she told the Hindu.

Working with Kamal Haasan and Shankar is a milestone that most actors down south covet. What can she tell us about Indian 2? “The experience was great. I got to work with such amazing people like Shankar and Kamal sir so early on in my career. So much learning happens when you are surrounded by people who are so good at what they do; the way they are on set, how they approach a scene and the treatment given to it. It is one thing in writing, but with all the improvisation on set, it becomes something else,” she told the Hindu.

Her entry into the big league hasn’t come easy. When she first began acting at 18, it was a struggle. “In 10 months, I was replaced by three films. That’s when I realised I need to take my work seriously. It’s a blessing I didn’t get things easy. If I had, I wouldn’t realise the value of success,” she concluded.