All about being recognised

It's difficult for outsiders to get good roles says actress Rakul

Actress Rakul Preet says it is extremely tough for an outsider to get meaningful roles in the film industry.

But she is glad that she is getting a chance to explore her calibre with films like "De De Pyaar De".

"I said 'yes' to the film because of my role. Let's face the fact, it is very difficult for an outsider to kind of crack the film which has a great role for the girl and when you are an integral part of the story," Rakul said.

"When I heard the role, I was completely blown by it. I said 'I will do anything to get this role'. I am extremely grateful that I am getting such a good response and people are noticing me in the trailer when it has two stalwart actors. I was overwhelmed with the response," she added.

The film, a romantic comedy, also stars Tabu and Ajay Devgn. Written and co-produced by Luv Ranjan and directed by Akiv Ali, it tells a story of how a 50-year-old falls for a girl much younger than him, and what happens when she meets his former wife.

In the film, Rakul will be seen essaying the role of a girl from London.

On her look, the actress said: "My look is very different. When I got the film, Luv Sir asked me that to lose weight. The brief given to me was, 'You need to look like Deepika Padukone from 'Cocktail'.

"Considering I own a gym myself, I couldn't say no. I had 25 days before I started the film and I lost about 8-10 kg at that point of time. It was a lot of work in terms of getting the look right."

She continued: "I was training for four hours and there was a proper regime. I had to crash diet for a week and then build muscle. It was one month of intense training. It was probably the most hardworking month of my life in terms of fitness."

"De De Pyaar De", produced by T-Series and Luv Films, will release on May 17. Rakul hopes the "film creates the same excitement as the trailer".