Heroes smoke, why shouldn't actresses?: Rakul

We have seen the trailer of Manmadhudu 2. Rakul is showcased in a different avtaar...smoking, romancing someone twice her age. Why is she doing this? She gives her answers...Read on...

Tell us about your role?
I play the role of Avantika and I got to portray different emotions in the film. My character is very important to the film as it changes the story upside down with my entry. It portrays today's women in a strong manner.

Your character is seen smoking in the film. Was it necessary?
Yes, I smoke cigarettes in the film. Firstly, no one asks when a man smokes on screen and what's wrong if a woman smokes. We need to see all this with an open mind and I only do that as it is a trait of my role in the film. And moreover, society is very bad outside in real life. What we show in films is a lot better and seeing such things everyone talks about culture and other stuff which is wrong in my opinion.

Why are you romancing heroes twice your age? 
If you see both my films De De Pyar De and Manmadhudu 2, the roles which I play are different. They have a meaning of why I am romancing senior heroes. You will not ask this question once you watch the film. As long as my role is being accepted I don't have any problem romancing senior heroes. 

How do you rate Rahul Ravindran as a director? 
Firstly, he is like a blood brother to me and I have known him for years now. But on the sets, he was like a full-on composed guy who knew his art well. Even before the shoot started, Rahul gave me a bounded script and asked me to know Avantika's role well. As it was very clear in his writing, there was no problem for me in portraying that role. 

Why are you not attempting lady-oriented films?
Firstly, I need to get scripts like those to do films. I have limited choice and I am waiting for the right script to do a perfect lady-oriented film. Anyone how, I am doing strong roles in my films and I treat them as lady-oriented films only. 

Did you watch Manmadhudu?
The first thing I did after signing this film was to watch Manmadhudu. I loved the film and the romance it portrayed. What lovely songs the film had and performances were so natural.