'This Roller Coaster Has Taught Me To...'

'...just be neutral about everything.'
'I will just take life as it comes.'

Photograph: Kind courtesy Preeti Panigrahi/Instagram

When Preeti Panigrahi was selected for Girls Will Be Girls in 2022, little did she know her life would change dramatically after the film's resounding worldwide reception.

Cut to 2024, Preeti is on every prestigious 'Best Actor' list and is hailed as a breakout star.

"I know it's demanding, but it's also something I want. I want to stay occupied. I'm very happy that I'm not lying on my bed throughout the day and scrolling through my phone," Preeti tells Mayur Sanap/Rediff.com in the concluding part of the interview.

You can read the first part of the interview here.

Tell us about yourself.

I come from Odisha. When I was two, we shifted to Noida and have been living there since.

My father has an intense passion for films. He collected cameras through his college days, his library is full of rare film books. He also has a film collection.

So yeah, I have no doubt why I ended up in films.

My sister is a great dancer. She's currently pursuing her PhD in London. I've seen her perform on stage and that inspired me.

My mom is a vice principal of a school. For her, learning never stopped. She's the most evolved person out of all four of us. And she writes too.

IMAGE: Preeti with then Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik in February 2024. Photograph: Kind courtesy Naveen Patnaik/Facebook

When did your family see Girls Will Be Girls and what was their reaction like?

They got to watch it in London when we were visiting my sister. There was a screening happening in London.

It was an emotional experience because I think more than me, it was a collective family dream to have me on the big screen.

I wasn't sitting with them for obvious reasons because I'm very shy. I sat in the front row. My mom had already read the script, so she knew everything about the film. She was probably watching it like a crew member.

Before the film started, all of them had a group hug and cried. And when the film got over, they had a group hug and cried again, without me. (Laughs)

I'm very happy that they were involved in the process through and through, and were extremely encouraging.

My dad has a ritual that every Sunday, he will watch at least four films. Last Sunday, he watched my film four times and called me, asking, 'How did you do that?', 'What was that reaction that you gave?', 'How are you so controlled?'

Photograph: Kind courtesy Preeti Panigrahi/Instagram

How much has your life changed once the film was released on OTT after a year of doing festival rounds?

(Takes a brief pause.) I don't know how to put this.

Maybe on social media and on the public platforms, it looks like a lot has changed. But until and unless I feel like a monumental shift in my emotionality or mentality, I don't see something very big happening.

I want to stay grounded and feel normal about everything because there will be severe highs and severe lows. And I don't want to get to that.

It's been almost a year that we have been going around with the film, and there have been ups and downs. The film releases in one country, and we get some buzz about the film. But after that, it quietens again.

This roller coaster has taught me to just be neutral about everything. Even now, I feel like I will just take life as it comes.

I won't stop being grateful for whatever the film has given me so far. It's way too much.

I want to work, of course, I want to act more, but if there are no opportunities out there for me, I'll try to create more opportunities because I'm learning how to make films.

IMAGE: A hug from Mira Nair. Photograph: Kind courtesy Preeti Panigrahi/Instagram

Have you started receiving offers? Have you signed anything?

(Laughs.) Not really. That hasn't happened.

But I'm very happy with the film having a platform like Prime Video and getting a lot of accessibility.

A lot of people are watching it. They are appreciating it and reaching out to us.

Since you are new to the industry, how are you warming up to the demanding nature of this job? What new things have you discovered about this profession?

I'm learning a lot right now.

I know it's demanding, but it's also something I want. I want to stay occupied. I'm very happy that I'm not lying on my bed throughout the day and scrolling through my phone.

I'm going out, traveling from one location to another, speaking to people, attending screenings.

I feel that has broadened my world. I'm meeting people I've always wanted to work with.

It's a nice time in my career. I have endless possibilities of what kind of an actor I can become.

IMAGE: A hug from Producer Richa Chadha. Photograph: Kind courtesy Preeti Panigrahi/Instagram

What role do Producers Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal play in your path? Do you consider them your mentors?

Yes, of course. I'm so grateful for that because I'm always constantly asking them.

I'm always picking on their brains and they're very welcoming. We hang out at their place sometimes.

At Sundance, we shared a lot of notes about films and cinema. There's a platform called Letterbox where we can count what films we want to watch. We share notes on that.

It helps that these people have already been in the industry as actors and now they've become producers. So they have an all-round experience to share with us.