Urvashi Rautela talks Sushant Singh Rajput, drugs and star kids
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00:00I love Alia as an actor but my film Virgin Vanapriya was rated more higher on IMDB and
00:05user reviews also better than Zadak 2 or like you know Khaali Peeli which just came out.
00:10Yes, Ananya's.
00:11Yeah, Virgin Vanapriya was a lot better than that but I want to say a lot has to do with
00:15the kind of media also kind of you know put the star kids in up in that level or elevate
00:22them.
00:23They kind of always appreciate their fashion sense, they kind of always appreciate their
00:26acting performances, they never find anything negative about star kids, they kind of just
00:32compliment them again and again and again and again.
00:39This is Manjusha Radhakrishnan from Gulf News Tabloid and I'm here with the gorgeous Bollywood
00:44actress Urvashi Rotela.
00:46She is at the Versace Dubai to launch their designer collection in jewellery, perhaps
00:51she can tell us more about it.
00:52So we talk about Bollywood today, surviving in the post-Covid era and lots more.
00:58Thank you so much for having us here during post-Covid times, it's difficult, we are here,
01:02we are so far away now but you can tell me like what brings you to Dubai?
01:08I mean first of all it's a very good feeling obviously for me also to be here you know
01:13it's been like over like six, seven months that I didn't travel abroad, obviously no
01:19one did.
01:21Urvashi, it's been such an uncertain time for all actors in general, don't you think?
01:25I mean with the post-Covid no movies releasing, now the theatres in India are open which is
01:29a great thing, finally there's some movement but as an actor how have you survived this
01:34and what kind of fears do you have?
01:37For me it is not just about acting, the things which I do are so much more different like
01:42I'm a humanitarian, I have my own foundation, there are so many brands which I endorse,
01:49I have been a supermodel, so the avenues are kind of like 360 degree open, I'm not just
01:54like an actor-actor or like I sing as well, I do so many performances, so I would say
02:01for me the avenues were a lot.
02:03Wow, fantastic.
02:04Urvashi, I know you are like a breath of fresh air actually in Bollywood which is now the
02:08most tainted industry I feel, drug-fuelled, people talk about it and there's so much of
02:13surround noise, how do you as an outsider process all that noise that's around you?
02:20See, right now I feel that yes there was kind of you know all this negativity and all and
02:28that's why also and also there is a renovation also happening in my house, so my parents
02:32only kind of, they said to me that you need that break, you know you just go from India
02:37but yes, Mumbai I will always love, Mumbai has given me my name, my identity, it's always
02:44going to be my, I worship Mumbai Devi, Mumbai has given me everything, I can never ever
02:51talk anything, I can't even think of talking anything against Bollywood or you know Mumbai,
02:58for me it holds a deep regard and deep respect in my heart.
03:03So whatever is happening I think it's quite unfortunate because it was all about, I don't
03:09know, because I think I'd rather want politicians to talk about our Indian economy which has
03:15gone, fallen down terribly, why are they talking about Bollywood, the work of politicians is
03:21to think about how we can grow as a country, how can we grow as a nation, how can we think
03:26about the economy, about the you know people's needs, it's, their job is not to get into
03:34Bollywood, it's a very creative space, so why the entire news channels everything, again
03:40I'm not saying anything wrong against news but I am somehow not comfortable with watching
03:45always like you know Bollywood news or something, you know thrashing this or that and exposing
03:49them, I think Bollywood now has become a very soft target and there are very important topics
03:56definitely which can be talked about in our Indian news channels which they are kind of
04:02not talking about and that's not okay with me because I think we should also be concerned
04:06about a lot more important topics, we should not be concerned about the small petty topics
04:12like the, I mean what do I say, like drugs or something, why aren't they catching the
04:17drug peddlers, that's what I want to say.
04:19Okay, so you think the big issue is not the stars and what they are up to?
04:23No, I never said that, I am completely against of stars having it but I say that if they
04:28are covering that they should also cover the other important aspects.
04:32Urvashi, I know you are an outsider and there's this whole debate about outsiders being mistreated
04:36in Bollywood, there's a camp, have you been facing the brunt of like cyclics and how difficult
04:43was it to get into Bollywood and be taken seriously?
04:46Okay, so I think initially for, be it anyone, you know you will not be taken seriously and
04:52we should put that on a t-shirt.
04:54Yeah, exactly, you will not be taken seriously, no matter how hard any debutante want to work
05:00I can write them in paper, you will not be taken seriously by the, until, unless, you
05:07know it takes like a lot of films, you just can't prove yourself in just like one film,
05:11you will have to do at least minimum 10-15 films, if your performance is as good and
05:16if your work ethic is superb, extreme professionalism, then you will earn it by, with time you will get it.
05:22Are you following the Sushant Singh Rajput case that has caught the public imagination
05:27and fantasy of so many, there's so much of public anger as well, about actors taking
05:32extreme steps?
05:35I think, I kind of do relate with him, in a way like he was an outsider, he did his
05:43engineering and everything, I was following it to a point but when I started shooting
05:48obviously I couldn't get hold of what was happening exactly and then I'm also like should
05:53I trust this news or should I not trust this news because there's also a lot of made up,
05:58fabricated news as well and then there came a point where I was so, I was like, I stopped
06:05reading news channels, there was a time and there was also a time when I was non-stop
06:09watching news, non-stop watching what is happening, happening, happening but then it went on for
06:15really a couple of like 3-4-5 months, yes, since June, yes, since June, that's what you
06:21know, it's been happening and then new people coming up and sometimes, conspiracy, this
06:28and that and I'm getting targeted and then I was like, it's better like till when, I
06:35mean whenever the result has to come.
06:38Like AIMS has now said in the forensic report that it was death by suicide according to
06:45their findings.
06:46Yes, that's what they say, yes, that's what they say.
06:50But in your case, are you worried as well, like do you guys get, you know, when you read
06:55such negative news as well, did your parents come up to you and say that even if things
06:59don't work out, it's okay, we're there, there's a lot of mental health issues that you should
07:04worry about?
07:05See, right now, I'll tell you very honestly, the dynamics of Bollywood have completely
07:08changed because of 2020, because of Covid, I mean again I'm not comparing, I love Alia
07:15as an actor but my film Virgin Vanapriya was rated more higher on IMDb and user reviews
07:20also better than Zadak 2 or like, you know, Khaali Peeli which just came out, yeah, Virgin
07:25Vanapriya was a lot better than that but I want to say a lot has to do with the kind
07:29of media also kind of, you know, put the star kids in, up in that level or elevate them.
07:37They kind of always appreciate their fashion sense, they kind of always appreciate their
07:40acting performances, they never find anything negative about star kids, they kind of just
07:46compliment them again and again and again and again and no matter even if an outsider
07:53has done even much better than them, they will be targeted for even a small petty thing
07:59whichever goes wrong or even when whenever there is nothing wrong, still they will be,
08:05you know, treated as like an object so that they can get like, you know, they can talk
08:11bad about the outsiders so that, you know, there is a lot of TRP and all, so you will
08:18never ever see like a bad news about a star kid, so I think a lot has to do with the media
08:25as well.
08:26Okay, how we perceive star kids versus outsiders.
08:29Initially, there were so many false allegations for me that I'm calling up Hrithik at 4am,
08:332am.
08:34Why are you calling me for what's happening?
08:35Yeah, exactly.
08:36I'm sorry, I skipped that news.
08:37So, I'll tell you, because Sushant, I'm just coming up with all these news articles and
08:41then obviously I was naive and I was like, why the hell, I mean, you know, I love Hrithik
08:47Roshan, but I don't want to marry him.
08:49For Kabul, you had worked with him, I remember the song.
08:51I love Hrithik Roshan, but that's my respect for him, that doesn't mean that I have a love
08:55angle with him or I want to get married to him.
08:58It is not like that kind of love or gossip pieces and all that hurt you at some point.
09:03Yes, of course.
09:04Because you're sensitive to that.
09:05Yes, exactly.
09:06And my PR team at that time advised me not to speak about it.
09:09Okay.
09:10So, the allegation was that you called up Hrithik Roshan at 3am and 4am.
09:15And why will I call?
09:16And the thing is that I wake up every morning 6am and I go to bed by 11pm.
09:19Where do I have time to call someone at 3-4am?
09:22So, you didn't put out a statement then, is it?
09:24No, I didn't because I was advised by the PR team, there's no point saying something
09:30like this.
09:31Obviously, there will be a lot of people or members of media or members of industry that
09:35they will think that I actually called up, which is not true.
09:37Okay, fair enough.
09:38So, sometimes that can affect your mental state.
09:42I think that also might have happened with Roshan.
09:44And yeah, I firmly believe that that kind of article will never ever come for any star
09:48kid.
09:49It will always be written for...
09:51Because they will call you out.
09:53Yeah, exactly.
09:54They will call you out.
09:55So, I think the media is also a problem.
09:57I liked your post on Gandhi Jayanti about safety of women and you were like, how strong
10:01you stood up for the women.
10:02Exactly.
10:03Now, there's a lot of violence against women in India, we're talking about it.
10:05What is your take on being a woman in India?
10:09I would just want to say one thing, small thing, because there's already so much we've
10:13talked about it.
10:14I would just want to say that people who are saying that don't take your girls out at 7pm.
10:20Right?
10:21Why?
10:23I mean, and they say that, they always say beti padhao, beti padhao, but jab beti ke
10:31saath hi aisa ho jayega, pehle bachne toh chahiye beti, toh I would say beti bachao and then
10:36beti padhao.
10:37True enough, yeah.
10:38That's what I believe in.
10:39And also they say ki ladkiyon ko 7 bache ke bahar nahi nikalna chahiye, yeh, woh, so.
10:43But my main point is that, they don't tell their sons, teach your son not to rape.
10:50Exactly.
10:51I think they teach their son to educate themselves or just like, you know, just tell them what
10:59is right or what is not.
11:00I think as a parent, they can do that.
11:01Of course.
11:02Why do they have to always tell the girl ki 7 bache ke bahar nahi nikalo, yeh mat karo.
11:05The onus is not on the girl to not step out, it should be on the boys not to do it.
11:08Exactly, exactly.
11:09And I believe in empowered women.
11:10I think a woman who is very strong, independent, completely, is a very attractive woman.
11:16And I think, I like those kind of women which kind of intimidate some men.
11:22I think.
11:23That's amazing.
11:24That's good to hear.
11:25And it's very important for a female to be financially independent and independent with
11:28her own thoughts.
11:29I'm not saying like in other way, in a bad way, but in a good way you should always be,
11:35I would say like self-sufficient.
11:36Self-reliant.
11:37Yeah, self-reliant.
11:38Exactly.
11:39Okay, mankind.
11:40Oh, that's nice.
11:41I love that.
11:42Brilliant.
11:43Thank you so much for talking to us.
11:44We covered quite a lot of breadth.
11:45Yes, exactly.
11:46And we're so happy you're in Dubai.
11:47Please keep coming back.
11:48Yeah.
11:49Thank you so much.
11:50Thank you so much for your time.
11:52Cheers.