HTCity Showstoppers: Patralekhaa reveals she has gotten work only through auditions
In an exclusive chat with HTCity Showstoppers, actor Patralekhaa opens up about her decade-long journey in the film industry and her fashion choices.
Patralekhaa, known for her standout role in the 2014-film CityLights, has carved a niche for herself in the entertainment industry with her charm and versatile acting skills. From portraying diverse roles in films like Badnaam Gali and Nanu Ki Jaanu to making an impact in web series such as Bose: Dead/Alive and Forbidden Love, the 34-year-old continues to captivate both critics and audiences alike.
Also Read: Patralekhaa on her 10 years in Bollywood: It required a lot of patience and perseverance
Reflecting on her journey, Patralekhaa opens up about the early success of CityLights. “The film did really well. It is a beautiful feeling because very rarely does an actor at the beginning of their career get a part like that, a film like that,” she shares. Despite the acclaim, she humbly remarks, “But it did nothing to me or for my career. I don’t know why! Maybe the times were such or maybe it was just destiny. But what it did was, I got to work with some really amazing people which only helped me make my art form better because I was so young [at the time], new and learning the job.”
Auditioning hustle: Behind-the-scenes
Patralekhaa’s path to success wasn’t without its challenges. Recalling her early days, she reveals, “Back in the day there was no structure to it [getting work]. There was no agency looking after me. I would give five auditions a day.” Even now, she continues to audition rigorously, believing in the process of earning every role she takes on. “Whatever I was getting offered or whatever I’ve been part of, 80-90% of the work that I have done, I have gotten only through auditions.”
When asked about her script choices, Patralekhaa emphasises the evolution of her approach. “Initially, I was just taking up everything that I was being offered. I had no idea of the industry,” she admits adding “now, for me, the story as a whole has to work because there’s no point in just seeing if my character is working or not. Then, it’s obviously the director. An actor is a very small part of his vision. So, I feel that the director is the most important thing after the script.”
Fashion, comfort, and cultural roots
Known for her down-to-earth demeanour off-screen, Patralekhaa’s personal style has also gained attention. “Comfortable” is how she describes her fashion sense, influenced by her upbringing in Shillong. “Fashion is something I understood when I started doing movies,” she muses, reflecting on her sartorial choices that blend comfort with eclectic influences. “I come from Shillong and the women there are so stylish. It would be really embarrassing if I didn’t live up to that legacy,” she quips.
So, what would someone like her whose fashion sense is a seamless blend of comfort and cultural flair, wear during Mumbai’s sweltering heat? “A nice pair of sandals, not chappals, a blue jeans, a white shirt or a top,” Patralekhaa says adding it ensure both ease and elegance. For red carpet events, however, she reveals a penchant for sarees, proclaiming, “I am a saree person,” and expressing admiration for Indian handloom. “Every time I’m visiting like a different state, I try to pick a handloom piece,” she shares. It is her fashion icons, including the timeless Audrey Hepburn, that inspire her preference for simplicity. “I love the simplicity [of that era],” she notes, contrasting it with the contemporary glamour dominated by the Kardashian era. She further elaborates, “We are living in the time and era of Kardashians. I have nothing against it, but I just feel like that simplicity is gone. The dresses she [Hepburn] wore and how elegant she was, that’s what I love about her, and I try to ape that a little bit.”
The easy-breezy beauty routine
Delving into her beauty routine and health regimen, Patralekhaa credits her Bengali roots for her glowing skin and emphasises the importance of simplicity and consistency in skincare. “The core of it is what you eat. I’m a Bengali. I eat fish two meals a day. It is also the vegetables we eat, the protein we intake. Coming to what I do to my skin, every time I step out, I come back home, and no matter what I wash my face, then put a serum on it, then put a moisturiser and then sunscreen, which is a must. I keep it easy-breezy. Even when I’m doing my make-up, I go really less on the foundation and everything else. I have Bengali genes and don’t have many pores to cover. Additionally, I make sure I take out my makeup. There’s never been a single day in my life where I’ve been too tired or I I’ve partied too much and forgotten to out the makeup. For my hair, I like champi. I’ve been doing it since I was 4-5 years old.”
Miles to go...
Looking ahead, Patralekhaa eagerly discusses her upcoming projects Wild. Each project, she says, offers her a chance to explore new facets, from a lively role in Wild Wild Punjab to a more serious narrative in IC814. “The first is about a road trip that happens over a night and I’m playing a Punjabi Kudi in it which is a far cry from who I am but it was so much fun and there was so much cultural learning. It is [a] fully crazy [film]. Separately, I’m doing IC814 which is in the opposite end of the spectrum. It is serious.”
Ask Patralekhaa, who has completed a decade in the industry, the most significant lessons she has learned about herself as an actress and she says, “Persistence and perseverance is the key. Keep cool, just put your head down and keep working.” “There’s no other way,” she asserts. On what she hopes to achieve in the next phase of her career, Patralekhaa tells us she doesn’t “do goals”. “I never had goals even in the past. It’s a place in my head and I know I want to be there. I’m just working towards it,” she wraps up.
