Patralekha Paul’s grandmother was a poet, and her father loved films. But post-independence they knew a career was imperative, so the matriarch educated her four sons. One became a doctor, another an engineer, and Paul’s father, a chartered accountant. Maybe why he urged ‘Patra’ to study management at Narsee Monjee, one of the best institutes in the country.

This is before she got offers for modelling and TV ads. “My parents empowered me. When I had no money or work, they stood behind me like a rock,” says Paul, who started her journey a decade back with Hansal Mehta’s ‘CityLights’. “I truly believe you are where you are meant to be,” she smiles.

Paul recently rose from #180 to #30 on IMDb’s popularity list in a week, surpassing Ananya Panday.

Riding the success wave of Anubhav Mishra’s Netflix series ‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack’ – in the news for ‘Hindu’ code names of terrorists, who hijacked the Delhi-bound Indian Airlines flight from Kathmandu almost 25 years ago – Paul says, “We have been told not to talk about it.” Monika Shergill, the content head of Netflix India, met the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and agreed that in future, the OTT platform will take care of national sentiments and historical accuracy.

Though the role of Indrani, the air hostess, confined her to the aircraft making her claustrophobic, she says,”There were so many people on the plane, including junior artistes. And it felt as if we were literally in the middle of a crisis.”

On legends like Naseeruddin Shah and Pankaj Kapur, the actress says that even though she did not get a chance to share screen space with them, she has watched their films, enjoyed, and learnt the art from films like ‘Sparsh’, ‘Maqbool’, and her favourite ‘The Blue Umbrella’. Her co-star Vijay Varma is a close friend, also because he went to film school FTII, Pune, with her husband and actor Rajkumar Rao. “We also did a YouTube series ‘Cheers’, where we bonded, while shooting in Goa. I am happy to see how Vijay has grown in both his work and personal life,” says Paul.

Talking about getting a bound script for ‘IC 814’ Paul says, she cannot really prepare for a role like this, unless you are in that situation, you won’t know how to react. “It is about being in that moment,” she says, adding, “I don’t judge Indrani, my character. She is not grey, she is real, resilient and determined, yet layered.”

Unfortunately, she admits, she could not meet any of the survivors in real life, but says co-star Vijay met Captain Devi Sharan, the pilot of flight IC 814 that was hijacked by the Pakistan-based terrorist group. The series, criticized for using code names such as ‘Bhola’ and ‘Shankar’ for two of the hijackers, demanded the release of three terrorists – Masood Azhar, Omar Sheikh, and Mushtaq Ahmad Zargar – in return for 150 hostages.

“When I began working with Hansal Mehta, I had no clue my life would take this turn. You pick up so many things along the way; it was extremely difficult for a woman like me from Shillong to find her footing in Hindi cinema,” Paul says, confessing that OTT has really changed the game. “Filmmakers were happy to cast me, even though box office was important to them, but OTT gave me wings,” she says. “Writers are coming with interesting parts, and this is not for women, just to box them. There are many actresses in the series, all of them have layers to them. Anubhav is truly a feminist, and the real magic begins at the writing level.”

If you ask her what she enjoys watching on OTT, she is quick to reply it is Jessica Chastain’s show on Hotstar, ‘Scenes from a Marriage’, which is a relationship drama of five episodes. “What a mind-blowing performance by Jessica; it’s so nuanced that I am addicted,” she says.

Paul has always followed her heart, in both personal and professional life.

She married Rajkumar Rao, whom she knew for 14 years. She says they don’t disagree on anything!

“Of course, we had teething issues like all couples, but we respect each other’s time and space, as we get so little of it with each other. When we do meet, Raj – obsessed with films – only talks about cinema… breakfast, lunch and dinner; that is how we also bonded initially,” she says, adding that over a period of time, she honed her craft, even though she didn’t go to film school like Raj. “An artist should always be working – it is the biggest teacher,” she says.

Her most recent interest is collecting handloom saris. Raj got a Banaras brocade for her after shooting in Banaras. Paul says she has quite a collection of Kanjeevarams. “Recently I bought handloom sarees from Chennai. I understand they are a great investment. I know how much weavers do to make just one statement piece.”

The key to her great sense of style comes from the fact that she grew up in Shillong, which is also known for its best-dressed people. “I noticed while growing up how beautifully my Bengali mom and grandma dressed. I did not know it was called ‘fashion’, but I admired their taste. I developed an aesthetic for handloom heirloom saris, and shawls inherited from my family. I have a stylist. Frankly, my preference keeps evolving. In the era of social media, I would be lying if I tell you that you cannot worry about your looks, as you are photographed constantly,” she smiles, adding, “you must be well put together.”

Has she achieved what she set out to do? In some ways, she admits, she managed to touch the iceberg, though not the tip. “I am waiting for more amazing roles,” she concludes, adding that a must-watch on her list is Hansal Mehta’s upcoming ‘The Buckingham Murders’, starring Kareena Kapoor. – Asmita is the Lifestyle Editor of NRI Focus. She is an award winning journalist who has been writing on fashion for the last 32 years