After playing a village girl in Citylights (2014), Patralekha plays a decidedly bold character in Vikram Bhatt’s Love Games. Patralekha discusses her idea of ‘bold’ and what Rajkummar Rao had to say about her film.
You play a bold character in your upcoming film Love Games...
My character Ramona in Love Games is different from what I have played in Citylights. Ramona is a high-society girl who is passionate, fashionable and takes the world head-on. She is also addicted to drugs like cocaine and loves all sorts of weird things. She is a strong woman and doesn’t care if her decisions are wrong or right.
What is the definition of bold according to you?
It varies from person to person. For me, boldness is not about wearing short clothes. It’s all in the mind.
After watching the film, will we start to hate your character, Ramona?
Definitely. If I watched her, I would hate her. She is a complete bad*** in the film. She doesn’t care about emotions or needs. She is self-centred.
Was it difficult to play a strong negative character?
I am not like her at all. Love is like life support to me, like oxygen. She is also a glamorous person with long, blonde hair and a lot of makeup. Everyone worked for this look except me. My look is very different from her looks and I could never visualise myself playing Ramona.
Who was your inspiration for this character?
I watched Basic Instinct (1992), but I am not asking to be compared with Sharon Stone. I watched it to learn from her. I also went to a couple of parties and observed how people behaved.
You seem to be particular about playing strong characters...
I need to bring something to the table. My role needs to have an impact on the film. In Citylights, my role was of a docile rural woman, but towards the end, she was the strength of her family by working in a bar. Do I like playing strong characters? Probably. The role of an independent woman attracts me.
How did your significant other, Rajkummar Rao, react when you agreed to this daring role?
He didn’t have to react. We are both actors and are okay with whatever films we do. Finally, we are just shooting for films and it is not reality. Both of us are outsiders and for us working is the most important thing. I don’t want to get into these petty discussions like ‘Why are you kissing her onscreen?’ or ‘Why are you doing these roles?’ We are here to support each other and not hamper our careers.
While Rajkummar does a film like Aligarh, you are doing a film like Love Games. Are you the quintessential unconventional couple of today?
(Laughs). If I get an offer to dance around trees and sing, I will do it. In fact, Rajkummar is dancing around a tree in his next film Shimla Mirchi. Hopefully, I will get to dance too, I’m a good dancer. I guess I’m just waiting for the right script.
You have played a 24-year-old mother and a bold character so far. Do you worry about your image?
I played a mother to a five-year-old in my first film and I play this bold woman in my second. My Bollywood journey has been very unconventional. These roles are poles apart and I feel blessed to get such diverse roles. At the end of the day, I am just an actor portraying these characters. I am neither Rakhi nor Ramona in real life. As far as image is concerned, it will change again with another film.