In college, there are always those who like to skip classes, rebel in every way possible and end up in the bad books of the teachers. And then there are those who would attend college every single day, absorb each word the teacher is says, be on time and perform well in tests. Actress Raashi Khanna belonged to the second category. Regular, punctual and result-oriented, Raashi says she was a complete nerd in college.
“My attendance was always above 90 per cent. Even when I was unwell, I used to attend college, as I was obsessed with my course and lectures. I never used to bunk. In fact, I was the one who used to stand proxy for other girls,” reveals Raashi, who pursued English Honours from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, New Delhi.
Although she was a goody two shoes, the actress says she did have her share of fun, and that her college days a rewarding experience. “It was an all-girls college, so it sort of liberated me, and my course was really good. I used to dress up like a boy and wear my brother’s shorts to college,” she laughs.
While it is only natural that a well-mannered student like her would have made a good impression with her teachers, Raashi, who made her debut in films with Shoojit Sircar’s political-espionage thriller Madras Cafe, admits that although she was very attentive, she would not participate much in class discussions.
“My teachers thought of me as a decent, quiet girl, who sits in a corner. They thought I was someone who concentrated on exams despite not being active in discussions during the lectures. My teachers were really nice and I used to get along with all of them. They were all very forward thinking, so it was great to interact with them. I was never the naughty one, I was always regular and punctual,” the actress explains.
Raashi, who made her Tollywood debut with the much talked about family entertainer Manam, which saw Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Nagarjuna and Naga Chaitanya together onscreen, says she was an introvert during her college days. “I was friends with everybody, but I used to stick with only three or four close friends. Looking back, I would say that I was an introvert, who spent time by myself mostly. Even my parents used to tell me to take it easy,” she says.
Known for her roles in the 2014 film, Oohalu Gusagusalade, and the recently released, Jill, Raashi says that her college experience helped her in her career. “I never imagined a career in films. But my course came in handy as we used to do analyses of characters and examine deeply the situations in the books discussed as part of the course. English literature is about ideas, history and about why a novel, poem or short story was written a certain way and why a character behaves in a particular manner,” Raashi points out.
She adds that her studies help her get a better grasp of the characters she essays on screen. “Once you empathise with your characters, you transform into them. So, I always ask the director in-depth details about my role, as it helps me identify better with my character and perform better,” she adds.
Raashi will be seen next in the much-awaited Tollywood flick, Bengal Tiger, opposite Ravi Teja. She is also currently working on a Telugu film, Shivam, opposite Ram Pothineni.
— suhas@newindianexpress.com