Rachita Ram: The audience should not judge the heroine based on one song

Rachita Ram, who has maintained the image of a typical commercial heroine, is now venturing into new territory with her upcoming film, I Love You. She recently became the talking point for doing a bold sequence in a song.

“I will be in a better position to talk about this song only after the film’s release,” says Rachita. In a conversation with Cinema Express, she talks about working with Upendra in R Chandru’s upcoming directorial, her view about love in the context of the film’s plot as well as her personal take on love. 

“I Love You, as viewed by the director, is not about attraction or infatuation; it is about life. Dharmika, my character, sees a difference between romance, sex, and life. How honesty and loyalty work as major factors in love is what is explored through my character,” says Rachita, adding that personally, she feels that love is a feeling that each of us perceives differently. “Practically, no person can give 100 per cent love to one person. It is divided between your parents, siblings, friends, and soul mates. I also feel that possessiveness is at times important in love.”

When Rachita got the chance to work with Upendra, she decided to go on set with a blank mind. “I am one of those people who grew up watching his films, and now I'm part of one. I used to take time to understand his kind of films. I also realised that heroines in his films have a very unique role. While doing I Love You, I felt that I was the female version of Upendra in this film, imbibing references from his roles in A and Upendra,” she says. 

Talking about what prompted her to film the bold scene in the song sequence, Rachita says, “Imagine two people in love, who are meeting after five years. How do they express how they feel about the gap? This is exactly what the director has tried to explain through this song. At present, I can’t reveal the scenes before and after this track, but it has a good placement in the film.” 

Though she hasn't done something out of the ordinary, Rachita admits that this particular song has made people see her in a different light. “Some people feel that I agreed to do a bold scene because I don’t have films in hand. As a heroine, I have the right to play different kinds of characters. Probably, my statement back then, saying I don’t like wearing a bikini on screen, or I am not willing to do intimate scenes, has now led to these discussions. All I want to say to that is, I did it because the role demanded it. Having said that, I have also decided not to be a part of such kind of sequences in future.” 

Rachita is thankful to Upendra, and his involvement in this song sequence, which helped her get comfortable. “On the first day of the shooting of the song, I said I was feeling uncomfortable. Then he explained that we should be getting into the characters - Dharmika and Santhosh. He also explained that all of us have a family and don’t want to put anyone in discomfort. In fact, Uppi turned director while shooting for this particular track," she recalls, adding, “I Love You is an amazing movie for all kinds of viewers, and one should not judge the heroine or the film based on one song.”