She has proved herself as an actress, a digital star and India’s unofficial Brand Ambassador to all things cool! We are talking about none other than Actress Urvashi Rautela.
FACE’s Managing Editor, Neha Sachar Mittal chatted with the multi-talented actress about what she likes to do when she is not busy trotting the globe, pushing boundaries professionally or setting new heights on social media.
1. How do you feel being there to witness in flesh and blood as Harnaaz Sandhu brought home the crown for India, after a long gap of 21 years?
The moment that happened, I could not control my emotions! I promised myself that I will be very neutral as a judge. I will not tear up with whatsoever happens. I will not be emotional, but once we called India, there was a huge rush of blood in my body, all the other judges were sitting, but I didn’t care about me being the judge, I was clapping so hard, I had tears in my eyes, because I was only Indian present there and not even the audience had any Indian. I really wished that every single Indian could witness this historical moment or could see what I’m feeling at the time. It was next level and completely priceless for me. It will always be written down in the history books. I think it was a night full of miracles.
Right now we might not see it but 2-3 years down the line, we will definitely feel that it was a very unusual night and whatever happened, was a miracle. So, kudos to Harnaaz, kudos to In I can understand more of what’s happening with the contestants and their feelings on stage. I’m very relevant and can relate. This is something very sudden for me. There are only about four to five young judges in the Miss Universe. All the other judges were in the age group of over 40- 50 years plus. So, me being a judge at this age was an achievement and also unique because they rarely have an Indian Judge. So what really makes me think is that the confidence they had in me, is truly elating and humbling.
dia, and kudos to us!
2. How was your experience being the judge?
It was a true honour for me to be able to become a judge. I was a judge at the preliminary competition and the finale competition as well. I’m the only one in history to win the Miss Universe India twice and the only actor with the maximum number of beauty titles in the entire universe. So, obviously, as a judge,The day when I left India for Israel, I was very sure that I have to be responsible and I have to play my role in the best possible manner. I hope I achieved it.
The cherry on the cake was to be invited by the former Prime Minister of Israel – Benjamin Netanyahu, who is like a mastermind and is definitely one of the most influential personalities in the world. So meeting him and being invited by him with my entire family was truly exciting.
3. Your latest song ‘Versace baby’ with singer Mahmoud Ramadan is creating a sensation in international music. How was the experience of working on the song?
He is a true Superstar and I’m really happy with all the love I gained from the Middle East. Collaborating with him was such a big high. I absolutely loved it. I mean, this was not the first collaboration. He always wanted me for ‘Ya Habibi’ as well. But at that time the first lockdown happened and I couldn’t travel to Egypt for the shoot. And that was actually maybe one of the world’s most expensive music videos ever. As you can see in the video, you know, there’s a lion, there is a snake, the budget of the music video was very high. So I think it’s kind of nice to do some work internationally, just kind of breaking the boundaries and now not only India, but people know me globally and especially in middle eastern countries with ‘Versace baby’. So I think yeah, it was definitely a fruitful outcome.
4. Now that you have joined the likes of Shahrukh Khan and Sanjay Dutt by being the first female actor to get ten years of UAE gold Visa, you were recently invited by the prime minister of Israel. And in general, you are stirring up a storm with your work internationally. How does it feel? Is it “sab shandaar sab badhiya”?
We call it Sababa! And you know, this year ended with such high notes for me, because I also won ‘International Icon of the year’. I was worried about the symbol of the armour, from the Israeli Army, and my uncle is in the Indian Army. So I know how it feels. Most of my family members have served in the Indian Army and I’m from Uttarakhand, so I know how big of a deal it is. Indian army and Israeli Army work together, lots of Israeli soldiers come to India for training. And when I was there, I made full use of it. I also did my training and I got the symbol of the Armour. I became the first Indian who got the symbol of armour and that too, from a big soldier who lost one of his arms in the fight. So for me, It was a dream come true because, I really have a lot of respect for the army, be it any country’s Army.
I would really, really want to do my training with the Israeli Army and Indian Army to prepare physically and mentally. It was one of my bucket lists to be part of the army and it was definitely a proud moment for my family as well. You just kind of give your freedom away and you learn discipline and respect with a great attitude, and I truly feel that every single person should train in the army.
5. Tell us about the Urvashi Rautela Foundation. What are the areas the foundation focuses on, and what prompted you to take this initiative?
So this is something which I do for my heart. My parents always taught me to be of some use, to be very helpful for society and the nation. We have been doing really well, like the kind of things we did like providing oxygen concentrators with so many facilities in covid-19. We have done an amazing job as a foundation. We were also awarded internationally for the same. Whenever and wherever some sort of disaster or trouble has come up, we have always had some purpose and have always helped people. So I think what is the point of being an actor when you are of no use, and not using your resources and reach in the right manner.
6. Rumour mills are rife that your work calendar is overflowing at the moment. Please tell our readers about all the exciting things coming up for you.
First of all, I would like to wish FACE Magazine, their entire team, all the readers and viewers, all the very best for 2022. And I think it should be like that, I am wishing for everyone, you know, you should be dedicated and focused on your work, and if you’re doing good work and believe in the kind of work you’re doing, things work out. It feels great to hear that my diary and calendars are so full that I don’t have any free time. My thing is always like, I’m a very proud Indian Citizen and I think as an Indian all the time. Infact, there’s this video which has gone viral on the internet because I always say ‘Urvasi Rautela 21 India.’ There is a lot of enthusiasm for me when I call my country’s name. I just want to make my country proud. I have been given all kinds of opportunities and amazing platforms to prove my love for my nation and till now it’s been so good. I am getting calls that ‘We’re so proud of you. It’s a next-level thing which you’ve achieved.’ So yeah, I’m really grateful to God and I feel truly blessed that whatever I want to do in life, I’m living the life of my dreams!
7. ‘It’s nonstop. Light camera action’ for you all the time, How do you unwind or take a break?
I think my life is kind of like my vacation. I actually don’t need a break from my life. So when you enjoy doing something, you actually don’t require a Sunday or a break or whatever, but yes obviously, sleep is important and getting all your spas are important, sometimes because of the training or wherever you end up tearing muscles up here and there with the weight training. So it’s very important to remove the fatigue by doing all sorts of massages and other things. I think those free times are also very important for the family. So now these holidays are going to be more for quality time and enjoyment.
