May 15, 2026 10:00am IST
Patralekhaa on Motherhood, Mental Health and Why ‘Our Lives Are Not Only About Men, Romance and Looking Pretty’ (EXCLUSIVE)
From her debut with "Citylights" (2014) to "Phule" (2025), Patralekhaa has occupied a space in Hindi cinema that doesn't follow a predictable trajectory. There have been long gaps, unexpected turns and performances that quietly stayed with audiences long after the films left theatres. From “CityLights” to “IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack” and “Phule,” the actor has consistently leaned toward emotionally-rooted stories over conventional visibility. Now, with “Heer Sara Aur Pondicherry,” she is once again stepping into a world centered on women, identity and emotional intimacy, something she believes Hindi cinema still does far too little of.
She says, “It’s exciting as a woman to read stories about women, their conflicts, their inhibitions and what gives them moments of empowerment. Our lives are not only about men, romance and looking pretty. It’s a lot of hustle. We still don’t see enough of that on screen.”
Directed by Karthik, “Heer Sara Aur Pondicherry” follows two women navigating friendship and self-discovery. For Patralekhaa, the biggest draw was how deeply the film leaned into female bonding without framing the characters through romance. She says, “My character’s purpose in life is not driven by love. That itself felt refreshing.”
Learning to Ride a Bike and Leaving Her Comfort Zone
The film also demanded something deeply uncomfortable from the actor. Patralekhaa had to learn to ride a bike despite carrying a long-standing fear of two-wheelers after a childhood accident. “Karthik wanted me to learn how to ride a bike. Initially, I was terrified. The first bike was too difficult, and after 15 days, I told them I couldn’t do it anymore. Eventually, I learned on a Royal Enfield,” Patralekhaa says.
What stayed with her most was that her trainer was a woman. “There was this whole gang of women around me while I was learning. That felt rare and exciting.” That rarity extends beyond the film itself. Patralekhaa believes Hindi cinema still struggles to fully back women-led stories despite audiences clearly existing for them.
“When ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2' released, theatres were packed. That means there is an audience for these stories. We are just not tapping into it enough.”
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Life After ‘CityLights’
The actor also reflected on the uncertainty that followed her debut film, “CityLights,” the Hansal Mehta-directed drama opposite Rajkummar Rao, which became her breakthrough performance. “The safety net was never there because I never had one. I did the films that came my way. There was a phase where things slowed down and I genuinely wondered if this industry was for me.”
Patralekhaa credited the OTT boom for changing that reality. “The pandemic and OTT shifted things massively. Suddenly, actors like me started getting more opportunities and layered parts.” That shift led her toward projects like “IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack” and “Phule,” films she says expanded her understanding of people and spaces outside Mumbai.“ These projects take me into completely different worlds. As an actor, that changes you.”
Even now, Patralekhaa says she continues chasing emotionally rooted stories over visibility-driven choices. The actor recently received one of her most memorable responses for “Phule” from a construction worker. “He told me he and his wife watched the film together and thanked me for making it. Those are the moments that stay with you.”
Motherhood, Production and Protecting Mental Health
Motherhood, meanwhile, has entirely shifted her relationship with work. Patralekhaa revealed that she is currently prioritizing production and spending more time with her daughter instead of immediately taking on more acting projects. “Now everything feels different because someday my daughter will watch these films. You start thinking about what you’re leaving behind.”
The actor added that she has also become far more selective about the environments she works in. “I don’t want to be on sets where there is negativity around me anymore. You spend weeks with people while making a film. I need to feel nourished as a person and as an actor. Mental health matters too much to ignore that now.”
Today, for Patralekhaa, the journey is less about chasing visibility and more about building meaningful work that lasts. Between acting, production and motherhood, the actor appears far more interested in emotional honesty than in conventional industry formulas.
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