Patralekhaa has been a part of the industry for 10 years now but she feels this year would be hers as "the product of 7 years of my hard work is going to come out this year". The actor is looking forward to four projects including films Phule, IC814: The Kandahar Hijack, Wild Wild Punjab and the web series Gulkanda Tales and calls it "one of the busiest phases" in her career. “I have been working hard to come to this stage. It required a lot of patience and perseverance.”
The 34-year-old, who has been a part of films like CityLights (2014), Love Games (2016), Nanu Ki Jaanu (2018) and Badnaam Gali (2019), credits OTT for keeping her going and getting her interesting opportunities. It was due to web shows like Bose: Dead/Alive, Main Hero Boll Raha Hu and Aar Ya Paar that she got noticed for her acting prowess. “I am glad with OTT there's varied content out there and diverse roles for actors and technicians. I remember, when I would meet directors, they would tell me to try getting work on OTT. It was (filmmakers) Raj and DK, who were the first ones who thought about casting me and got me on board for Gulkanda Tales,” she shares, adding, she has been working non-stop in the last two years.
Patralekhaa admits that the lack of offers used to bother her initially: “I had nobody in the industry to leanon. But then I caught up and I guess that’s what patience and perseverance brings to the table.” She shares she never felt “discouraged”, and her professional life saw a good rise post her wedding with actor Rajkummar Rao. Mention it to her and she quips, “I feel like I should have gotten married much earlier.” There was a time when female actors’ marital status would dictate the number of offers they would get. But times have changed and Patralekhaa credits that change to some of her fellow actors. “Kareena (Kapoor Khan), Deepika (Padukone), Anushka (Sharma), they have broken the norms of how an actress should be seen. I see a lot of change and I don’t think marriage is seen as a hindrance anymore,” she says.
{{/usCountry}}Patralekhaa admits that the lack of offers used to bother her initially: “I had nobody in the industry to leanon. But then I caught up and I guess that’s what patience and perseverance brings to the table.” She shares she never felt “discouraged”, and her professional life saw a good rise post her wedding with actor Rajkummar Rao. Mention it to her and she quips, “I feel like I should have gotten married much earlier.” There was a time when female actors’ marital status would dictate the number of offers they would get. But times have changed and Patralekhaa credits that change to some of her fellow actors. “Kareena (Kapoor Khan), Deepika (Padukone), Anushka (Sharma), they have broken the norms of how an actress should be seen. I see a lot of change and I don’t think marriage is seen as a hindrance anymore,” she says.
{{/usCountry}}Raving about her husband, the CityLight actor says, “Raj is so kind and he is such a motivating factor in my life. Seeing his sheer hard work for his work, is just mind boggling. Sometimes, he even makes me feel bad that maybe I am not doing enough. His process is tiresome. I don’t think there is a break that his brain gives him. As an actor, he pushes me and helps me to achieve my best. He is also like my parent, taking care of me.”