Rakul Preet says Manmadhudu 2 came to her at the right time.Rakul Preet Singh played the role of a young woman falling in love with an older man in De De Pyar De, which released earlier this year. She has also played a similar character in her upcoming film Manmadhudu 2, starring seasoned actor Nagarjuna Akkineni in the lead. The actor says that the similarities between both the films stop right there.
She is quite upbeat about her character and seems to have made a lot of good memories and friends while shooting for the film, which is written and directed by Rahul Ravindran.
The second instalment in Manmadhudu franchise is the remake of French romantic comedy I Do (2006).
Here are excerpts from Rakul Preet’s interaction with the media:
Q. Tell us about your character in Manmadhudu 2.
I play Avantika in Manmadhudu 2. She is a fun character, full of life, and lives in the moment. But, she also had a difficult past. She is also mature. It’s a very layered character which is something that I enjoyed a lot while playing it. This character gave me the scope to perform. My character is as important as Nagarjuna sir’s character Shyam. This character came to me at the right time as I was looking for nuanced characters.
Q. Tell us your working experience with Nagarjuna Akkineni.
Nag sir is a very supportive co-star. I would say that he is so secure as an actor that he took a backstep allowing others to shine in certain scenes. He was not worried about his short dialogues or heroism. I think that only comes when you are secure of who you are. As a person, he is one of the nicest people. My respect for him has grown manifolds.
Q. How was it working with Rahul Ravindran, the director of Manmadhudu 2?
I think Rahul Ravindran is a talent to watch out for. He explains everything with clarity. His writing style is very good. He is a happy person who brings good vibes to the sets. Because he is also an actor, he knows what to do to get the desired output from the actors.
He is also like my brother. I have known him since Venkatadri Express. I always call him ‘Bade Bhayya’ and he always calls me ‘Kiddo’ or ‘Behna Doll’. When I started working with him, I might not have seen the professional side of him. But, what I understood is that he does solid pre-production. He gave the bound script to all actors so that everyone comes prepared to the sets.
Q. In De De Pyaar De and Manmadhudu 2, the male protagonist was twice the age of your character
My character is supposed to be 25 years younger to him (Nagarjuna) in Manmadhudu 2. That’s the story. De De Pyar De and Manmadhudu 2 are two different stories. And, the only common thing between them is the age gap between the lead couple.
Q. Manmadhudu 2 is the remake of a French film. Have you seen the original film?
I didn’t see the original movie. A lot of changes have been made in the Telugu remake. In this film, you will see family, mother and sister sentiments. While shooting for the remake, I don’t like to see the original movie because I am afraid that it will be in my mind. Then I try to imitate it unknowingly.
Q. What are your upcoming projects?
I am doing a film with Nithiin where I am playing a lawyer and also doing Indian 2. I am going to sign a new project and the details will be announced soon.
