Patralekhaa reveals why she didn't star with husband Rajkummar Rao in their first production Toaster

Patralekhaa marked her 35th birthday on Thursday amid her friends and family in Shillong. “Being home always brings a sense of comfort and nostalgia, and this year feels even more meaningful because I get to share it with my loved ones in a place that has shaped so much of who I am,” Patralekhaa shares.

Last year, the actor had one of her busiest years in Bollywood with Wild Wild Punjab and IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, and while she is grateful for that, she is looking forward with excitement to this year as she steps into a new role—of a producer with Toaster.

Reflecting on this new journey of production with husband, actor Rajkummar Rao, Patralekhaa shares, “For me, stepping into production is an organic extension of my love for storytelling. I wanted to create a space where inspiring stories could thrive. Raj and I have always been passionate about cinema, and through production we hope to champion stories we genuinely believe in.”

The actor insists that the biggest challenge in this new journey for her has been to understand the “business side of filmmaking”. She says, “As an actor, you’re focused on your performance, but as a producer, you’re responsible for everything from script development to execution,” admitting that an aim of turning producer for her was also to make stories that weren’t being offered to her as an actor: “One of my motivations was to bring to life the kind of stories I want to see on screen—whether for myself or for other actors.”

In her first production, Patralekhaa decided not to act and cast actor Sanya Malhotra opposite Rajkummar. Ask her why and she says, “I genuinely wanted to understand how films are made. I was very sure from the beginning that the first film that we will produce, I won’t act in it. I wanted to learn how production works, and Sanya is so talented that I am so glad I took this decision.”

But how is it being a producer to her husband? “Raj and I have always had a great professional understanding, and this project only reinforced that. He has been incredibly supportive of my transition into production and has helped me navigate this new phase,” she ends.