THE REIGN OF RAKUL

To her fans and followers, Rakul Preet Singh is a successful actor, producer and influencer. To her friends and family, she is as grounded as they come–someone who can handle grit and glamour. Here, the star talks to Nupur Sarvaiya about what her already more than decade-long career has taught her, her love life, and why there is so much left to learn.

- Nupur Sarvaiya

All clothing: Frontier Raas www.FrontierRaas.com

All jewellery: Tribe By Amrapali www.TribeAmrapali.com

It’s lunchtime on a (relatively) sunny afternoon in London, and Rakul and I are talking about her aversion to cold climate. “I hate frosty weather,” she tells me. “The irony is my dream travel destination is Iceland. I really want to witness the Northern Lights, but I just need to prepare myself to bear the cold and make a trip there,” she laughs.

The actor, who is fresh on the heels of wrapping the shooting of her film ‘Chhatriwali’, is on a much-needed 10-day break in England. Unlike most contemporaries of her time, Rakul has a long, varied career behind her. She has worked in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi films, winning awards and hearts across generations and cultures. Her 2022 line-up includes a roster of six much-awaited movies. “When you will watch them, you’ll realise all the roles are different from each other. And that’s what excites me,” Rakul adds. With roles that defy stereotypes while amplifying inclusivity, Rakul is poised to spark larger conversations. How does she do it? “With my work, I’m always like, ‘OK, what’s next?’ There’s so much more to do.”

2021 was a good year for Rakul. She delivered three hit films, including the comedy-drama ‘Sardar Ka Grandson’, where she essayed the role of Radha, Arjun Kapoor’s love interest. On her birthday in October, the actor made her relationship with Bollywood actor, film producer and an entrepreneur Jackky Bhagnani Insta-official.