VJ-turned-actress Rhea Chakraborty talks about her attempts to bag a YRF project
In the industry where your entry without a godfather or without any known surname, is almost impossible, she managed to bag a project under Yash Raj banner, and that is surely an achievement for Rhea Chakraborty, the actress who made her debut in Mere Dad Ki Maruti. We know her as MTV’s VJ, who was seen with Ayushmann Khurrana, hosting the show Fantastic Five. “It was never decided that I will be an actor but while I was a VJ I used to go for the auditions. I also went for the auditions of Band Baaja Baaraat but I was 17 then and I was too young for the role. Then I got to know about the auditions for this film, I went again and again and finally managed it. It was definitely not easy. Getting a film for a newcomer is a Herculean task and that too with a brand as big as YRF is almost unimaginable. So once I cleared the auditions, there wasn’t much left for me to decide. And also as a fresher you hardly have any choice,” said Rhea, who, being an Army kid, grew up in various parts of India.
“My dad is a Bengali and was an Army doctor. I went to 14 schools and I was studying to be a scientist or an engineer. Everything happened spontaneously and then I decided to come to Mumbai and settle down there. My family also decided to move in,” said Rhea and added that since she has started acting now, she realised this is what she wanted to do. “I was watching James Bond Skyfall and there is an old character named Miss M, she is passionate about her work. While I was watching her I thought to myself that when I will be her age what will I be passionate about. I realised that it will be going to the sets and facing the camera. Of course, I would have my family, grandchildren and I would love to spend time with them but as work I would love to be on the sets even twenty or thirty years down the line,” shared the actor.
Rhea says that she is in no hurry to sign films but will take her time and look for more performance-oriented roles.
“I would not mind doing a 10-minute role in the film, if it is important and adds to the script of the film. There are different kind of films being made today and I guess that more than the length of the role it is the value it holds in the film, that’s relevant,” she added.
The actress too has a film in pipeline, about which she doesn’t speak much. Apart from films one thing she fondly mentioned was her passion for writing.
“I write all the time. I write poems while I am travelling and no matter how busy I am I always find time for my poetry. I maintain a scrap book, which is really dear to me. I often think that if earthquake or Tsunami hits us some day I will have to save my book. Other than writing I enjoy travelling,” she concluded.