Patralekhaa, an actor who effortlessly combines striking style with compelling substance, opens up in a deeply honest and heartfelt conversation in the latest edition of Filmfare’s OTT Showcase. Known for her nuanced performances, including her acclaimed portrayal in IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, Patralekhaa sheds light on her evolving journey as an artist, her internal battles, and what it truly means to keep going even when the spotlight dims. In a candid conversation with Filmfare Editor-in-Chief Jitesh Pillaai, she reflects on the industry’s challenges and the labels often attached to her name.
Talking about nepotism and navigating the industry, she shares, “Back in the days when I was just starting off, Raj used to help me a lot, even like 3 years back when we were in pandemic, he was like giving me cues, he has always been super super helpful. He is just a great co-actor to have, he elevated your performance.” She added “I never had a thing where a nepo kid will like come in, the kind of work I was doing was very different, I never came into that bracket only, I did Citylights, and after it was a difficult phase for me, second film defines you, after Citylights I thought ‘yes, I made it’ but actually I didn’t get any offer for 6-7 months. And then I still remember a very Sr. journalist messaging me ‘don’t let the lights dim’, and that kind of affected me a lot, I didn’t know people but that’s not an answer to anything, the best person I can go to was Bhatt sahab, and I signed a 3 film contract.”
She doesn’t shy away from discussing the years of silence after her debut, saying, “After the film came, there was a null for so many years. There was a year when I was only working for 2 days and earning only that much. Before my first film, I would go out, audition, meet people, and make friends. Auditioning for ads is different; they reject you, but you don’t let it get to your heart. But once you become Semi-famous, that’s a very tricky place to be at, you are ‘there’ and then you are ‘absolutely not there’. Everything dried out, fizzled out, because I didn’t know who do I approach, what do I do.”
Despite the achievements, she admits certain perceptions still linger, “It still bothers me, ‘Raj’s wife’, I feel like perhaps my work has to speak louder. I am raised in a very different; it was not a case where my parents pushed me to get married, it was always about having an individual output towards life. I feel like I am just pushing the ceiling. When I met most of the directors, they are nice, I just feel like perhaps I need to prove myself a little more, and only that works. I do good work, and work comes. It’s not only about Raj and my relationship– I feel they are unable to put me or see me in what they are developing.”
On her craft, Patralekhaa shares a vulnerable glimpse into her process, “My process is a bit different, obviously I do the reading and mandate, but the first 2-3 days, I am completely lost, idk what’s happening, it’s a very overwhelming feeling. I feel when you are on a set and you are doing the thing in and out, like different scenes from the script in a completely different look, something happens, and it’s like ‘That’s her’. I feel my process starts once I am on the set, I can prepare, learn lines, but the moments are what capture who that person/character is.”
Touching on her mental health, she says, “There were days when I used to be really sad, but then I would pull myself out of bed and do random stuff, but also I can say that I had the support of my parents, and that was the most important thing. My parents have been a very important part of me for not going insane.”
Addressing speculation about cosmetic enhancements, she offers a frank perspective, “In front of the camera, you have to look a certain way. People don’t understand that a camera takes all your negatives and amplifies them, also you are very critical of yourself. I feel it’s easier to tell actors that ‘why have you done this’ and ‘why aren’t you confident enough’. We are confident, but you have to look a certain way in front of the camera. I don’t care, if I do anything, if I am doing some botox or whatever, it’s really for me, for me to be confident and look nice, I really don’t care what people have to think.”
Patralekhaa also takes a moment to cheer on her contemporaries, saying, “I think Huma is doing a really good job with Maharani, Radhika does a really good job, I love Alia, everyone loves Alia, what she does to her character I don’t think anybody can do that. So does Ranbir, I think they both are two individuals that just pop by themselves on screen, and what they do can’t be done by anybody else.”
Watch the full episode of Filmfare OTT showcase ft. Patralekha now, only on Filmfare’s YouTube Channel!