Raashii Khanna tells why she was initially 'not interested' for 'Madras Cafe'

It was in Farah Khan’s YouTube show, where the actress made the revelation along with making her favourite recipe of “kale chane ka pulao”.

“I ran away from the first audition. There were a lot of people. It was an ad. It was a lip gloss ad. I was scared seeing so many people. I was always very shy,” Raashii said.

To which, Farah replied: “It wasn’t Mukesh Chabra?”

“No. They sent me to small auditions,” said Raashii, who added: “ There were auditions. But they didn't call a lot of people. There were no open auditions. I got an ad. I got a call from casting director Jogi Ji. Jogi Ji said Madras Cafe casting is happening.”

“I said ‘I am not interested in films. I don't want to do it. I am here for a time pass’. I refused twice. The third time I said out of respect,” Raashii said.

“Madras Cafe” is a political action thriller film directed by National Award-winning filmmaker Shoojit Sircar. The film also stars Nargis Fakhri.

The film is set in the late 1980s and early 1990s, during the time of Indian intervention in the Sri Lankan civil war and assassination of Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

The film revolves around an Indian soldier who is appointed by the intelligence agency R&AW to head covert operations in Jaffna shortly after the Indian peace-keeping force was forced to withdraw.

Farah found it unbelievable that Raashii said no.

“People are dying to go for a movie audition,” Farah added and also asked “After the audition, you got a film?”

“That was my first film. After that, I started getting films from the south.”

Raashii then said that the languages she knows are “Punjabi, Hindi, English, Tamil and Telugu.”

“You could have been in the embassy. As an interpreter or something like that,” said a stunned Farah.

Raashii added: “The idea was I wanted to be an IAS officer. But now I feel like even as an actor, we can do so much for people. That was the idea. I am happy to be an actor.”