Exclusive | Naila Grrewal On Joining Allu Arjun, Atlee's ‘Raaka’: ‘A Masterclass That Pushes The Envelope In All Aspects Of Filmmaking’

Eleven years into her Bollywood career, Naila Grrewal is entering new territory with her South film debut in Atlee's upcoming film Raaka.

Directed by Atlee, Raaka is a pan-Indian outing starring Allu Arjun and Deepika Padukone in lead roles. Marking the first collaboration between Atlee and Arjun, the film brings the director’s 18-year vision to life.

For Grrewal, landing a role in Raaka was a mix of manifesting the chance to work with the director and expressing her genuine willingness to collaborate with him from their very first meeting. "He was extremely gracious to take that conversation forward and be open to the idea of collaborating with someone who has only worked in the Hindi film industry," she says.

The actress, who made her Bollywood debut in a supporting role in Imtiaz Ali's Tamasha (2015), was last seen as advocate Ananya Shroff in season two of Rahul Saxena’s courtroom drama Maamla Legal Hai, alongside actors Ravi Kishan, Nidhi Bisht, Anant Joshi and Anjum Batra.

In a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter India, Grrewal speaks about working with Atlee on his “mammoth” vision, sharing the screen with Arjun and Padukone, and what audiences can expect from Raaka.

Eleven years after making your Bollywood debut, you're now entering the south with Atlee's Raaka. How do you process this shift?

It really doesn’t feel like it has been 11 years into this line of work. I feel like back when I started with Tamasha, I didn't really know what I was getting into. I was fresh out of school and I got this offer on my lap.

As incredible as it was to work with Imtiaz Ali and then in Bareilly Ki Barfi, my journey was always more academic in nature. But I had this passion for the performing arts, and it became a channel through which I could release that feeling of being an artist.

My real foray into full time acting was with Thappad. I was finally getting a better idea of my career choice when I got the opportunity to work with Anubhav Sinha; it was also when I understood what it means to have a character arc.

Coming from the outside, I never really thought I would be living in Mumbai and pursuing all these magical dreams that I always thought of as a little storybook.

What has it been like working under Atlee's leadership?

I have always believed that if there's a filmmaker whose sensibilities genuinely resonate with you, then there's no harm in expressing that admiration and desire to work with them.

I've been following his work for a long time, and I felt that there was a creative language in his cinema that I would love to be a part of. There was a sense of manifestation and he is the kind of filmmaker I aspire to work with.

Here is a man who is dealing on a very different scale, position and storytelling. It feels like a masterclass to understand the amount of dedication and persistence that is needed to make something this mammoth come to life.

Is there a piece of advice from Atlee, or a moment while being directed by him that has stuck with you?

It would be my initial interaction with him. When I expressed my desire to collaborate with him, he was extremely gracious to take that conversation forward and be open to the idea of collaborating with someone who has only worked in the Hindi film industry.

I was fortunate that this part in Raaka emerged and he felt I was a good fit. I think it's a reminder that of course talent matters, but so does being honest about the people you want to create with.

When someone with the amount of grace that Atlee sir has tells you that you fit the role and to come and be a part of the film, it's very special.

You played a supporting alongside Deepika Padukone in Tamasha. Now, you're reuniting with her in Raaka and in a very different capacity. Does that feel like a full circle moment?

It does feel like a full circle moment. When I was a kid getting into college, my approach towards being on a set or seeing an actor like Deepika Padukone was of sheer admiration. Now, I recognise her ability to play such nuanced roles with so much grace.

The little things that I appreciate about her now are not so much the overarching idea of her being this superstar; it's more of the fact that she is such an attuned actor. She is so in touch with the character she has to play, gracious and present.

To be a part of these incredible stories, and to be among these incredibly interesting performers like Allu Arjun and Deepika Padukone... it's just fascinating. I feel like patting myself on the back for coming this far.

Are there any moments on set with Allu Arjun that stood out for you?

Allu Arjun sir has an incomparable amount of focus and concentration for the character and the universe he's trying to project.

When you see an actor that has reached the level of success and the heights that he has seen with his previous projects, to come on set almost hungry for more is very inspiring for a newer actor like myself. His level of excitement, focus and concentration to make it work, to get it right, is insanely inspiring.

Can you describe the kind of world Atlee is building in Raaka and what he has in store for the audience?

It’s a story he has had inside his head for a while. It’s going to be something that really pushes the envelope in terms of all aspects of filmmaking and all aspects of character portrayal.

When you're able to break away from the regular norms of playing something natural into something completely different, it's going to be really out of the ordinary.