Delhi girl Raashi Khanna has not let language barriers stop her from working on Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi films. In spite of the differences in languages, the one thing she’s seen across the industries is the passion for cinema. “Apart from the language, I don’t see any major difference at work. Be it Telugu, Tamil or Malayalam, every filmmaker wants to make good cinema. I find Tamil poetic, while Malayalam is a bit of a tongue twister. I had quite a tough time singing the title track of my Malayalam film Villain.”
Speaking about her experiences of working with superstars Mohanlal and Jr NTR, Raashi says, “I have learned a lot while working with both of them. Mohanlal is such a brilliant actor; he acts with his eyes and I learnt that from him. Jr NTR is also extremely talented and I used to tell him how jealous I am of him.”
Having worked with established stars and newcomers, Raashi doesn’t see much difference in working with either. “I never felt intimidated while working with big stars.”
Even though she didn’t have a release for a year after Hyper, Raashi says she was still busy shooting for multiple films. “I was not idle all that while. I was, in fact, shooting for many films, including Jai Lava Kusa, Villain, and Ravi Teja’s Touch Chesi Chudu.”
The 26-year-old actor is not bothered by competition and wishes to just focus on her career. “I’m not insecure, and I get along well with my counterparts like Rakul Preet Singh and Lavanya Tripathi. There is no competition between us.”
Though she debuted with Hindi film Madras Cafe, she’s not worked in Bollywood since then. But, she has no regrets about that. “I don’t plan things. I choose the best film that comes my way. Right now, Bollywood is not on my mind. But, if I get a good project, I’ll consider it.”
Raashi auditioned for Ram Charan’s Rangasthalam 1985 and she was even said to have shed a few kilos for the role. But, she did not bag the role. “But I have no regrets about missing out on any film,” she says.
Given a chance, Raashi wants to explore her dark side. “I would love to do a negative role. People say such roles won’t suit my face, but if anything comes my way, I’ll definitely do it,” says Raashi.
Her upcoming films include Ravi Teja’s Touch Chesi Chudu, Imaikka Nodigal with Atharvaa, and Siddharth-starrer Shaitan Ka Bachcha.