‘I go with my spontaneity’
Portraying a real incident on reel is a tough enough task any day but when it is a hijacking being relived on screen, it gets all the more challenging. Little wonder then, actress Patralekhaa aptly claims that the experience of enacting an air-hostess in Netflix’s latest series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack was ‘intense’.
Directed by the talented Anubhav Sinha, the series recreates the 1999 hijacking of the Indian Airlines plane on way from Nepal to India. “It is not everyday that one gets to recreate such emotions. It was difficult to enact the mental as well as emotional turmoil that the passengers and crew members must have gone through, but I took it up as a challenge and enjoyed the overall experience. The intensity of the role was telling,” says Patralekhaa, whose latest digital film Wild Wild Punjab made a mark too.
Patralekhaa made her acting debut with Citylights in 2014, while her first web series was Bose: Dead/Alive (2017). She has also been a part of films, including Nanu Ki Jaanu (2018), and the web series Mai Hero Boll Raha Hu (2021) as well as Aar Ya Paar (2022).
Regarding the preparations for her role in The Kandahar Hijack, or for that matter any other that she essays, Patralekhaa says, “I believe my intuition and feelings flow on the sets, so when I essay a particular character there is not much pre-thinking. Although there are reading sessions, but on the sets I go with my spontaneity. Natural flair is important for me and I trust my instinct.”
Working with Sinha must have been a learning experience, right? “Of course, it was. In fact, it was a dream come true for me as he is a very gifted director. Although the script is the Bible, he lets his actors ‘be’ and perform in their own space. Also, as the topic was intense and not much fun happened on the sets, we really enjoyed the food that Anubhav sir often got for us,” she recalls.
If it was such a serious affair, challenges would have sure presented themselves? “Yes, there were many. Most of all, working in a tight space with so many people as well as junior artistes was quite a task. As I am a bit claustrophobic, it was not the happiest situation for me, but it is all worth the effort once the result is fruitful,” she shares. Hailing from Shillong, Patralekhaa has completed a decade in the industry along with her co-actor Vijay Varma, with whom she has collaborated earlier in the series Cheers. “During the last decade, we have grown as actors and working together is always fun. But there is a long way to go yet.”
Patralekhaa, whose ranking jumped from #180 to #30 on IMDb’s popularity list since the release of this series, credits the OTT for providing more opportunities to artistes, “It’s a good space to be in and the talent pool has become wider. The competition too has increased, but there is more work now. At least I definitely got more work since the advent of OTT and am thankful for that.”
Ah, are we missing something? Personal front? Being the wife of the super-talented Rajkummar Rao, whose latest film Stree 2 was a huge hit, does work go home? “Yes, we often have discussions on our projects. I seek his advice on particular scenes and how to go about them. So does he. It’s wonderful to have a talented soul around as your life partner.” Well, two to tango!
