Raashii Khanna reveals initial disinterest in ‘Madras Cafe’

Actress Raashii Khanna recently shared that she was initially not interested in auditioning for her debut film Madras Cafe (2013), which starred John Abraham. During Farah Khan’s YouTube show, where Raashii also cooked her favorite dish, kale chane ka pulao, she opened up about her nervousness and hesitation.

Raashii explained, I ran away from my first audition. It was for a lip gloss ad, and there were so many people. I was very shy and scared. Farah joked, asking if it was casting director Mukesh Chabra, but Raashii said she was sent to smaller auditions instead. When casting director Jogi Ji called her for Madras Cafe, she refused twice, saying she wasn’t interested in films and was just there to pass time. She agreed only out of respect the third time.

Madras Cafe, directed by Shoojit Sircar, is a political thriller set during India’s involvement in the Sri Lankan civil war and the assassination of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The film follows an Indian soldier leading covert missions in Jaffna after the peacekeeping forces left.

Farah found it surprising Raashii said no, since many actors dream of such chances. Raashii shared that after Madras Cafe, she started receiving offers from South Indian films. She knows several languages, including Punjabi, Hindi, English, Tamil, and Telugu.

Originally, Raashii wanted to be an IAS officer but now feels that as an actor, she can also make a meaningful impact. She’s happy with her journey and the opportunities acting has given her.