Performance Space

Actress Patralekhaa’s quirky Mumbai apartment perfectly captures her love for the movies.

- Nandini Banerjee

A VINTAGE DRESSER IN THE BEDROOM AND A LARGE MIRROR IN THE LIVING ROOM FIND PLACES OF PRIDE IN ACTOR PATRALEKHAA'S HOME IN ANDHERI.

It is while standing in front of the LED-set vanity that Patralekhaa practices lines for her movies, and the living room is where she rehearses her dance moves. It’s a routine she follows every day when filming, and it was here that she prepared for CityLights, her 2014 breakout film. As Rakhi, a young wife who must survive the challenges of a new city, she had to work hard on her character since it wasn’t one she identified with. But she laboured over it, preparing for it in the privacy of her home. When the film released, the 28 year old received critical acclaim for her acting. “I love films and acting, and my home personifies that,” she says.

A known face in TV commercials, and last seen in Nanu Ki Jaanu with Abhay Deol, Patralekhaa says she always wanted to be an actor. “I came to Mumbai for my graduation, and for the first two years, I tried to follow the path my father had chosen for me—chartered accountancy. But that did not go well. I did a lot of commercials and kept auditioning for films, while simultaneously doing a three-month acting workshop with Barry John. And then,