RAKUL PREET SINGH

I love being in Hyderabad, as I never get bored like I do in Mumbai.

Hema ji is a dedicated artist and a perfectionist who continues to rehearse on her lines till she gets them right.

If I wasn't an actress, I'd never wear make up. I liked being ready in half an hour and arrive on the sets. Even for a no-makeup look, if one has a dark under-eye on a particular day, a little makeup is used. I had no scope for that as well.

I dubbed for 'Nannaku Prematho' because in that film, I was doing a London-based character, and even if some mistake happens with pronunciation, people would excuse it.

I am blessed to have worked in big-budget films at an early stage of my career.

When I initially moved to the city, I had to stay in hotels for almost two years. I was fed up of that life, and it was then that I decided that I wanted a home in the city, so I shifted base permanently.

Fitness starts at home. What you eat is what you will look, just as what you sow is what you reap. Eat good food: eat fruits, vegetables, healthy grains, and don't go for sweet and trite food.

I am not in a hurry to do Hindi films. If it is destined, when it has to happen, it will.

I am a total beach person, and that's why I just love coming to Vizag. The city also reminds me of the peaceful defence colonies of my childhood.

I don't get tired of my work because you can't get tired of something you love and enjoy! But, having said that, I wish to get a break of four to five days, or at least three days, switch off my cell phone, and do what I want to.

After the Visakhapatnam and Araku shoot, I am leaving for Ahmedabad and Bangalore, followed by Hyderabad. This is the time I can work hard, so I never feel the pressure, as I am a workaholic.

I don't think one should attribute the success and failure of a film to a single actor. When you decide to do a film, you weigh the pros and cons before taking a call. Only when you run out of patience, get insecure, and feel your career is heading nowhere do you sign anything that comes your way.

A lot of people don't know that I had a special appearance in 'Keratam'; that was my first Telugu film. I only shot for four to five days. When they called me, I said, 'I can't give 60 days for a movie. If you have something for one week or 10 days, then I can accommodate.'

I always feel that I compete with myself.

For me, fitness is not just about hitting the gym; it is also about an inner happiness and an overall well-being.

I think female-centric films shouldn't be only about thriller or horror. Angelina Jolie has been doing all kinds of stuff.

I think there is an army clock ticking in me. I value time. I always want to be on time. I don't complain about things, saying, 'There is no caravan here,' etc. For example, they could only arrange a tent on the location of 'Pareshanu Raa'. I understand the importance of money. I respect my work a lot. Not that I am the only one who works hard.

It's wrong to say that there is no performance in a glamorous role. Even a glam role takes in a lot of effort. There is a fine line between being glamorous and being vulgar; you have to feel comfortable in what you wear.

It's not an easy task to match Charan. He is really a good dancer, and he comes straight to the sets without rehearsals.

I'm quite fluent in Telugu now, but there's a difference between talking and dubbing. While dubbing, the diction must be in sync with the emotion in the scene and would impact my performance.

I learnt tennis, swimming, basketball and several others, but the sport I loved the most was golf.

We shot 'Telusa Telusa' song in Bolivia. It took us 50 hours to get to the location. We shot in high altitudes, and oxygen cylinders were kept handy.

Beauty pageants work as a platform from where you can reach out to many.

A lot of hard work goes into making a film. It's not all fun time, as people tend to think. There are always stereotypes attached to every profession, but I found out this industry breaks them all.

In 10 months, I was replaced from three films. That's when I realised I need to take my work seriously. It's a blessing I didn't get things easy. If I had, I wouldn't realise the value of success.