There was a time when I wanted to quit Beintehaa: Preetika Rao

The pretty and talented Preetika Rao, who is lovingly called as Muslim Barbie Doll for her role of Aaliya on Colors' much-loved series Beintehaa, is currently missing from the tube ever since her show wrapped up. After featuring in popular ad films and hit flicks in the South, Preetika debuted with Beintehaa that became a craze among the young audience.

She is being immensely missed by her fans globally but the actress is utilizing her sabbatical doing many things while she is waiting for her upcoming project to go on floors.

Meanwhile, there's lot that happened with Preetika on her professional front and she got to explore a lot.

In a freewheeling conversation with Tellychakkar, Preetika opens up about the things that are keeping her occupied these days, more about her professional life, personal life and much more. Read on:

What's keeping you busy these days? Busy watching TV shows?

Not at all, I hardly get time (laughs). There is a sudden influx of relatives pouring in from all over the world. I have two aunts visiting from USA and a cousin from London. So, a lot of reunion parties are keeping me occupied and at the same time I have been invited to judge the annual festivals of several colleges and I am also focusing on some brand new photo shoots, so I am quite busy these days. I have no time to watch movies and TV shows. I haven't watched any new films. I have also been showstopper for various events where I am also getting a good chance to socialize with people from the industry. I recently met stand-up comedian Aditi Mittal at an event whom I have always been a fan of. 

Fans are eagerly waiting for your upcoming show to begin. How long is the wait?

Definitely 2017, but I was prepared for this wait because the project that I am committed to came with a delayed schedule. So, I was mentally ready for the wait and I am cool with it.

Do you feel that you have utilized your sabbatical perfectly by exploring so many things?

Definitely. It’s full of media interactions and interview segments, PR activities, photo shoots, events, performances and many other things. So it keeps an artist occupied even during a sabbatical.

We have seen you in ads, movies and TV series. Which of these interests you more and which of these do you think has given you what an actor desires for?

My ad career was extremely enjoyable but got monotonous and there was no creativity to look forward to. South movies were fun but since there was a language problem, I couldn't enjoy it as much. Television was extremely strenuous but the best part is the reach. If given a choice, I would prefer being a part of short films. I won't mind web series and festival films either.

After your singing debut, are you planning to come up with your next song anytime soon?

I know my fans are eagerly waiting for my second song, but if I make something next, I would really want it to be different and special.

You are quite keen on mini-series. What do you think about the current trend of web content?

It’s catching-up as it is engrossing and just a click away for the audience. I myself am a fan of TVF's Tripling web series and I have thoroughly enjoyed watching Baked.

Post Beintehaa, you had signed some shows but they didn't work out. What went wrong? Did it affect you?

Post Beintehaa, I had signed two shows with extremely big producers but the channel itself scrapped the shows for the producers and such things are normal in the television world. The competition for the producers to get their shows approved from the channel has become extremely tough.I believe in destiny taking its own course and I don't regret anything because I feel that things don't materialize if they are not meant to be. So I have absolutely no regrets because I am thoroughly enjoying this phase. The only let-down is the fact that my fans are eagerly waiting for my comeback.

You enjoy a lot of international fan following. How do you feel? How crazy are they? 

 I did not expect such overwhelming adulation from the international market for an Indian television actor. Today, statistic-wise the majority of my fan following comes from Indonesia, Turkey, Pakistan and Azerbaijan apart from India. It’s really overwhelming when I find Turkish men proposing to me on my DMs in Instagram and young Turkish girls telling me that they have a girl crush on me. The Indonesian fans leave no stone unturned to profess their love for me. They have even sent me gifts and video messages.

Every actor faces some negativity as well on social media. How do you handle it?

Every person on social media has the right to comment and express his/her views and if something turns out to be negative towards me, I don't see it as negativity. I only see it as their individual opinion and hence it doesn't really bother me. I find it extremely trivial to waste time propagating hate on social media.

Are you ready to enter into a relationship? What is the definition of Preetika's dream man? Would you surprise us someday just the way your sister Amrita did?

Yes, I am ready to enter into a relationship, like anybody else would be. Preetika's dream man should be someone who is a man of integrity, ethics and honesty. I stay away from men who take advantage of women in the name of dating and relationship. Finally, about surprising the media the way Amrita did, well, you never know! (winks).

Can your admirers hope to see you in a reality show? If yes, what kind of reality project we can expect to see you in?

As of now, I am not mentally prepared for any of the reality shows but we never know what future holds and dance is the only appealing factor for me as a contestant. However, I find the level of dancing extremely tough and challenging in reality shows.

Fans still see you as Aaliya from Beintehaa and they want to see you with Harshad Arora. Do you think that it is going to be little challenging for you to change this with your next show?

I firmly believe that my fans will accept my next pairing with the destined co-star. It will really make me happy if they do so. Due to social media, it becomes easier for the real 'you' to be known to your fans and interact with them more closely than the character they see you play onscreen. First they got to know me as Aaliya, then slowly as Preetika Rao.

What about your Bollywood dreams? Do you have any?

Bolllywood has become a very different game altogether and it’s no longer the way it used to be when my sister debuted. One has to compromise largely on their choice of scenes and dressing. Hence I could never make up my mind about a Bollywood offer. 

There must have been times when you and Amrita were compared for your respective works. Please comment.

Amrita is a decade senior in the industry and has far more experience and a larger fan following than I have. Once a Bollywood actress, always a Bollywood actress. She has a large body of work and awards to her credit. It would be slightly unreasonable to compare my work with her and vice versa.

Do you feel that it’s difficult for siblings to be in the same industry as people always see them as competitors? 

No, I don't think so. At least, not in my case because the time frame was pretty large but even when siblings get launched simultaneously, I think it’s only an advantage. The advantage can be of familiarity, friendships and opportunities within the industry that one sibling brings along for the other sibling. 

Has there been any time when you felt like giving up? What/who motivates you during your low phases?

There was a phase during Beintehaa when I was working 16-17 hours a day with just five hours of sleep. It was extremely frustrating because the profession also expects you to look fresh and good. So, I have had my breaking point where I wanted to quit the show but it’s only my inner will, patience, the response of the show and the love of my fans that kept me going. I genuinely feel that my fans are my biggest motivators today. I get inspired to work and enhance my creativity for them.

Any message for your fans for their love?

I love them immensely and sometimes I feel bad that I cannot personally reply to their DMs but I am extremely grateful to them for their love and the effort they put to send me gifts and make me feel special.