Rashi Mal on the quest for ‘good work’ she resonates with

Rashi Mal, who dons multiple hats of being an actor, singer, and also a dancer, gets candid with The Pioneer for a quick fun chat on her journey, her recently released EP, and more. Tejal Sinha A multifaceted performer— Rashi Mal is that one talented bunch of star who has been renowned for her skills, be it as an actor, singer-songwriter, or even a dancer. Now what sets her apart— she has been equally involved in working towards mastering all her skills. Making it obvious, she has had an interesting journey so far, wondered how? She has had the privilege of working with some of the best names out there while she continues to make her own place. It has not been devoid of challenges, but looking back at how far she has come, she says, it has certainly been rewarding. “The arts in totality have been my first love,” shares the Helicopter Eela actress as she continues, “acting, dancing, and singing each occupy an important place in my life. Acting gives me emotional liberation, dance gives me physical expression and singing gives me a voice. So each liberates me in a very different way. They are all different facets of self-expression at the end of the day.” Rashi hails from a family with no background in either of her skills, yet she has been so proficient in the same. Having the privilege of working with good people, just like many others, she shares, she too has made mistakes. However, she managed to learn quickly and with each step, moved on to bigger and better things. “It definitely takes time to understand how this industry works. There is no fixed path to follow and talent is viewed subjectively by each person. There are also so many more considerations than just your talent,” she recalls adding that the initial challenges she has been through are to be seen. For instance; to show people what you have to offer as an actor/as a performer. However, in this profession, “you constantly have to reinvent yourself and compete for eyeballs in a way, no matter what level you reach. But once people become acquainted with your work and what you can do, it does become a little easier.” For the unaware, she has been a part of TV shows like Gulmohar Grand, which still hold cult status, and now she has eventually explored different mediums to movies. Rashi says she enjoys all the mediums. “The movies are magical and grand, television has tremendous reach, the web allows you to experiment a lot more, which is why, as you see, I have not shied away from any platform. I look for good work that resonates with me. I like working with people who care about what they do. The rest is incidental.” Rashi Mal, who captured people's hearts with her portrayal in the 2013 smash series 'Paanch: 5 Wrong Make A Right,' returned to the big screen in 2018. She played Riddhi Sen's onscreen girlfriend in the 'adventurously humorous' flick in Helicopter Eela. She has had the pleasure to not only work with Kajol in the film, but also, with Bollywood’s darling couple Alia and Ranbir, Amitabh Bachchan, and the cast of Brahmastra in the film. “Working with people who are good at their jobs elevates your own work,” she says adding, “You bring your best foot forward to match theirs. These are all people I have grown up watching. I consider myself lucky to now be a part of this artistic tapestry I admired from afar for so long.” Apart from her acting, as a matter of fact, singing was the first art form she fell in love with but was the last addition as far as formal training went. “I was always that kid at family functions who was asked to sing. I have been training my voice in Western classical techniques for several years now and have also studied songwriting at Berklee College of Music. I have also previously been one half of the musical duo Sachhi Savitris and have written, sung, and composed for films, ads, and for my own songs,” says the Misaal singer. Recently, she has also announced her first Extended Play, Rashionality CH.1, which is her virtual alias, including on her social media. “I felt it lent itself well to my Musical persona as well. CH.1 because I feel I am still in the 1st chapter of my musical journey. This is my first EP, so it is very close to my heart. Each of the 3 songs is personal and heartfelt. ‘RASHIONALITY CH.1’ has 3 songs representing 3 different types of love YOON HI: This song is everything good about romance- the anticipation, the butterflies and the contentment that comes with being with your perfect someone CHALO: This is my love letter to self. For all those times when you are feeling down and lost, this is the song to get you up and get you moving again NAARIYAN: This is my love letter to all women…to remind them of their own power and to honour all the strong women who came before to afford us the lives we now live. “I write from experience,” shares the Buri Buri singer on her song-writing process. “I am a sensitive person whose emotional intake from the external world is generally higher than that of the average. So songs become one of the mediums of self-expression that help me channel and release these emotions healthily.” Her most challenging project as an actor was that of Samaira Jal in the series HINDMATA(Eros). I had to tread a fine line between ditzy and naive, being selfish yet likable. The brief was Alexis Rose from Schitt’s Creek meets Legally Blonde. So its was challenging but also super fun to play a protagonist who was so complex yet super so glamorous. In singing my most challenging project was writing and singing the song ‘Baaton mulakaton main’ for my film ‘Culture Vulture’ because the song had to fit a specific context and it had to represent the voice of the character I was playing. It was challenging but also super exciting. On the work front, she has two films slated for release: ‘Culture Vulture’ with Nagesh Kukunoor and Suchitra Pillai, and ' Death in the City’ costarring Javed Jaffrey. Meanwhile, on the musical front, she has two songs up for release; one from the film ‘Culture Vulture’, and Baaton Mulakaton main, an independent original called Stay(English)/Na Jaa(Hindi). The same song will be released in 2 languages. So I am super excited. “I don’t think any of the characters I have played so far have been exactly like me and yet they all have something of me. You always find something to relate to in each part and each story. It is about taking that one trait, that one emotion and amplifying it,” says the talented star on the concluding front.