Sunny Leone stealing the show? I don’t care: Rakul Preet

I'm greedy for work and at times, I wish a month had more days, or the day had more number of hours, so that I could work more. I'm happy to be busy," says actress Rakul Preet Singh,who is soaking in the adulation and all the projects she has in hand in Tollywood. With five Telugu films in her kitty, Rakul is loving this 'busiest' phase of her life.

"I'm lucky to be getting a lot of good work in Tollywood. And I won't say I'm choosy, but of course, you have to select the best, and I'm trying to grab as many good films as I can. There was a time when I had to let go of some films which I regret now," says the actress, who is gung-ho about her character in the Manchu Manoj-starrer Current Teega. 

"I'm playing a school-going village girl hailing from a rich family. I was never offered such a role earlier, so I'm pretty nervous. You'll see me in traditional attires with a subdued body language. Moreover, the character is very different from my last Telugu release, where I played a glamourous, arrogant city-bred girl.So, I'm excited to see the response," she says. 

However, the actress says she had the jitters when she first heard the plot. Her character is that of a schoolgirl and she couldn't imagine herself in a school uniform! "When I was told that I'm supposed to wear a school dress, I was like, 'let me try and see whether I can pass off as a schoolgirl'. Though a lot of my friends tell me I behave like a kid, who jumps around all the time and is hyperactive, I was nervous, but later I felt I could carry it off." 

The movie, produced by Vishnu Manchu under 24 Frames Factory, which is set for release on October 31, has been in the news since Bollywood bombshell Sunny Leone is also playing a part in it. Ask Rakul if Sunny's presence in the film bothers her, and the actress is quick to retort, "Sunny being in the film doesn't bother me at all, because both of us have our specific roles. I think it's your character that counts and nobody can take away your share. It all depends on my performance, and the response I get." 

However, Rakul shares that she had a great time working with Sunny, as well as her co-star Manoj. "Sunny plays my school teacher and to be frank, she's a very sweet person in real life. I remember one funny part, while shooting a sequence she was trying to mouth Telugu dialogues and was completely zapped. I could absolutely relate to her situation because I had a similar experience when I started my career in the Telugu film industry. I explained to her the dialogues, as well as the scenes and she was like, 'let me try it'. It was fun working with her," reveals Rakul and adds, "Manoj is like a bomb of energy and the title of the movie suits him perfectly. He's a very dedicated actor who wouldn't talk before the shots and would be alone till the shot is finalised. But, after the shot is done, he would turn into a prankster." 

Given her stay in Hyderabad, it appears the city has become her first home. "Yes, Hyderabad is my first home, and with five movies in hand, I've been here for a while now, shooting back-to-back. I love being in Hyderabad as I never get bored like I do in Mumbai,"she laughs.