Woman of the hour

Her Twitter handle reads “Actor by passion, interior designer by profession and a human by heart!!!” Actress Parul Yadav simply floors through her choice of projects. From her television debut in the serial Bhagyavidhaata to blockbuster Kannada films (her debut with the smashing Govindaya Namaha in 2011) to now her first mainstream Hindi film Killing Veerappan, it has been an exciting journey.

Major milestones

And rightfully so, Parul is on a high: basking in the success of her latest film Killing Veerappan — her foray in Bollywood that has met with rave reviews. Her performance has been appreciated tremendously in the movie directed by filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma.

“It feels great as the film has done extremely well in the Kannada and Telugu market, and I am eagerly looking forward to the movie’s release in the Bollywood and Tamil industry. We shot for all the versions simultaneously,” she says, visibly pleased, as we catch up in the midst of her hectic zipping around Bengaluru, Chennai and Mumbai for film shoots and promotional activities. “The movie has evinced a lot of audience interest as it is based on a national issue, that of the sandalwood smuggler Veerappan. I am quite excited about the reviews and have a feeling the project will garner great applause in the other markets as well.”

Of course, it wasn’t easy preparing for her role. “My career’s first ever non-fictional role,” says Parul. “The person whom I am portraying in the movie is very much alive, so it was a big challenge to play the role in a realistic manner. I essay the part of a girl next door who is actually a spy, so it was a tough balance to strike, keeping it as real and believable as possible. I was lucky to have sound research (of eight years!) done by Ram Gopal’s team backing me,” says Parul, who is living in Mumbai at the moment with her family.

Inspirations
Whom does Parul admire, among the current lot of actresses? “Kangana Ranaut, undoubtedly,” she responds immediately. “ I do admire her and consider her my inspiration. We share plenty of similarities — both of us are in this industry, surviving well without any godfather, and both of us come from unconventional backgrounds. Kangana has come a long way. Earlier people were derisive of her, ridiculing her hair, dialect and dressing, and today she is among the top three Bollywood actresses. In my mind, Kangana is an inspiration to all the newcomers in the industry, underlining that you can make it big on the basis of your merit.”

Parul is a die-hard Bollywood addict, with her favourite film being Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, and her searing wish to work with Salman Khan in a commercial potboiler. “I even wish I had starred in the song ‘Chand Chupa Badal Mein’ from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam!” she laughs honestly.

So what prompted Parul to take the plunge into the acting profession? “I am a true Gemini. I would have gotten bored in a 9-to-5 job. I enjoy acting, and while I act I also get to do lot of things I like: from going on paid holidays to exploring new places, meeting new people everyday...it is absolutely exhilarating.”

Powered by her wish to win a national award, Parul is living her single girl dream as of now: getting ready to gift herself a Rado time ticker and a spanking new set of BMW wheels, before she flies off to Spain for a holiday.
Go, girl!