De De Pyaar De 2 continues to be a steady earner at the Bollywood box office, having crossed the ₹60-crore mark in India already. The sequel to the age-gap romantic drama De De Pyaar De, that released in 2019, brings back the lead pair of Ajay Devgn and Rakul Preet Singh as a couple trying to win over her parents, and adds R. Madhavan, Gautami Kapoor, and the real-life father-son duo of Jaaved Jaaferi and Meezaan to the mix. t2 caught up with Rakul for a post-release chat.

De De Pyaar De 2 is going strong at the box office. What are the majority of viewers predominantly liking about the film?

There has been a lot of appreciation from family audiences. People are liking the fact that it is a fun family watch. I have got messages saying: “We haven’t laughed so much in a long time!” It has been a season of slightly serious cinema and this comes as a lighthearted break. It is very gratifying that people have liked my work. I have quite an author-backed role in the film. It is not an easy role and pulling off comedy is always tough.

In your opinion, how has your character evolved in the sequel and how much have you evolved as an actor with this franchise?

Part Two takes place only six months after the first film, so Ayesha really hasn’t changed much. The sequel takes place right from where we left things in the first film. Ayesha has always been a driven girl, even headstrong to a point. She always knows what she wants, particularly in the case of this man she loves (the much older Ashish, played by Ajay Devgn). Even in the second film, she carries a certain individuality and owns her space.

As far as having evolved as an actor... I really can’t say. Each film enhances your work, each film gives you an opportunity to portray different kind of emotions. De De Pyaar De 2 definitely gave me that. The different dynamics that the character has — with her partner, with her parents (played by R. Madhavan and Gautami Kapoor) — gave her many layers. Definitely, it leaves a subconscious impact on you and the way you approach scenes.

Ayesha is very feisty... I am not as much, but I do make sure I put forth my opinion. The scene that is there between Ayesha and her father on the highway, Maddy sir (Madhavan) asked me if I ever get as angry as she does. But I have never got that angry in real life.

I have definitely evolved as a performer in the last few years, but when you pick up so quickly between sequels, it becomes difficult to pinpoint in what way one has grown.

What were your biggest takeaways from sharing screen space with such a rich ensemble of actors?

You have said it right — it is a very rich ensemble of actors, and it was an amazing experience working with them. If your co-actors are giving, if your co-actors bring the right energy on set, your performance invariably enhances. A scene always involves a give-and-take equation between actors. Ajay sir, of course, is a very, very good actor. I don’t need to say that. He is also one of the nicest people and the most secure actor I know — he is always aware of which is his scene to shine and which is another actor’s scene to shine. He always looks at doing what is best for the film. I don’t think there is any other actor who has that kind of grace and sense of security.

Maddy sir is a terrific actor. It was pure joy working with him because even for my close-ups, he would be giving me cues and vice-versa... we would do that for each other. The scenes that we have as father and daughter are intense and one can’t look at a pole and get that emotion out... one needs a co-actor for that. In that sense, both Ajay sir and Maddy sir were so supportive and I am grateful that they gave me the space to shine as Ayesha.

Fifteen years as an actor later, how are you picking and choosing your roles now?

As an actor, I feel that you have to keep analysing what the market is consuming. It is important to create content which is in demand and which feels relevant to them. One needs to keep evaluating what is working and what isn’t. But then again, it is not that one ever has a consistently correct answer for that. As an actor, what you can do is try and evaluate what are the kind of scripts that are working, what are the kind of stories that the audiences want to watch.

What is always, of course, paramount is the script. Picking meaningful roles even in a multi-starrer film is very important. I want to experiment with my parts and it doesn’t always have to be in a commercial setup. I am looking to push the envelope in every way I can.

So what is your reading of what the Indian viewer of today really wants?

People are looking for content that is worth their time. Time is most valuable for everyone and one needs to give them cinema that justifies the time they spend on it. We are in the digital age where attention spans have really shrunk, because of which a lot of these micro dramas are doing so well. So it is a tricky question of what does one really have to do to keep the audience engaged and entertained. They also have so many more avenues to watch content on, and as creators, we really have to go the extra mile to ensure that the audience thinks that your film is worth the time, money and effort needed to buy a ticket and walk into the theatre and watch it.

If I circle back to De De Pyaar De 2, I feel that it has worked because the audience feels it is a community watch that they should go and experience in cinemas. No one wants to laugh alone... you want to laugh with your family and friends. You want to share the jokes in the film with them and you want to have conversations about the film later. That is why the genres of comedy, action and thriller, if done well, will always find takers in theatres. Most of the messages I have got for my latest release have said: ‘My God, I don’t remember the last time I went and saw a film with my mom and dad and enjoyed it.’

This is my analysis, but as we have seen, things keep changing and this analysis may not work after a certain point of time. Honestly, monotony is what audiences don’t want.

Are you someone who has always kept track of the box office or has that increased after being married into a family of producers (Rakul Preet is married to actor-producer Jackky Bhagnani)?

Being a part of the industry, you need to know how things work. You have to understand the business to be in the business. I always followed it, and that holds true for even the beginning of my career when I started out with South Indian films.

What is important is that I follow it, but I don’t get affected by it. There have been so many good films, especially post the pandemic, which have, unfortunately, not worked at the box office. So even though I try and get an understanding of what is working and what is not, I don’t get obsessive about it.

Is there a genre you are itching to work in at this point?

I would love to do a historical... we are always itching to do a film with Sanjay Leela Bhansali (smiles). I have also not done an out-and-out romantic film yet. I haven’t worked in a biopic and I would love to explore that.

My favourite Rakul Preet Singh film is... Tell t2@abp.in