Delhiite Raashi Khanna is all excited about her Bollywood debut with the just released Madras Café . Raashi’s journey to filmdom, like so many youngsters today, is through the world of modelling. An alumna of Lady Shri Ram College, Raashi says modelling happened to her just as a hobby after she was spotted by Elite, a modelling agency, at her college. Excerpts from an interview:
How did modelling happen and how were you selected for “Madras Café”?
After I finished college, I interned with McCann Erickson in Delhi and around the same time, I met Anirban Das, the CEO of Kwan. He asked me to move to Mumbai. I was not very sure because acting doesn’t run in the family and I gave myself a six-month deadline. Within two months, I got my first ad for Tata Sky and more assignments followed. It was, however, the Tata Sky ad where Jogi, the casting director of Madras Café , spotted me and that’s how I auditioned for it. A week later, Shoojit Sircar called me up to confirm my casting in the movie. None of it was planned.
What is your role in the film?
I play Ruby Singh, the wife of the protagonist Vikram (played by John Abraham) in the film who is an officer in the army. Ruby undergoes a sea of contrasting emotions and I portray her anxieties, loneliness and the apprehensions of being an armyman’s wife. She takes pride in his job but at the same time there is a situation where Vikram is posted in Jaffna, the place of the civil war. The moment Ruby comes to know about this, it becomes the most difficult moment for her because she cannot show that she was upset about it as she is Vikram’s strength. So there is a constant battle of feelings that they live through and their love is beautifully portrayed in silence.
How was your experience shooting for the filmin India? Did you face any difficulties?
I did not go to the jungles to shoot, all my shots were indoors and done in Kerala. It was beautiful and I had a lot of fun shooting in Kerala. I had always wanted to go there.
We have already seen some witnessed many models debuting doing their debut this year. So how are you taking the competition?
Competition exists everywhere. I feel, if I do the right thing and perform well, then there won’t be a problem. Right now, I can’t say much because I want to see how people perceive my role. Maybe, I can talk more about this post release. I am new, so I am not sure of which category the audience will put me in.
Did you face any difficulties while playing your character in the film?
I am young and not as old as Ruby. My character is that of a very mature and strong woman. She is emotional but strong at the same time. It was difficult but Shoojit Sircar had faith in me and thought I could pull it off. I did not have the confidence to do this role initially. So I took help from a really close friend who has a military background. So I prepared hard and owe it all to Shoojit sir.
You have already signed up for two other films with John Abraham’s production house. Who else do you look forward to working with?
I do not have a wish list at the moment, and am willing to work with anyone who wishes to cast me.
Did you follow any particular fitness regime for your role? How do you keep yourself fit and healthy?
I was not required to follow any fitness regime for the role but since we had John in the film, he helped me out with some fitness tips. He asked me about my eating habits and corrected me at a few places and guided me a lot in terms of fitness. I thank him for that and I am now working on it. Apart from this, I make sure I work out five days a week including doing cardio and cross fit. Sometimes, I do zumba and a lot of yoga. I avoid junk food and love vegetables, salads and fruits. I feel eating healthy is more important than working out in the gym. I make sure I eat small meals every two hours and stay healthy.
