I kept ignoring MS Raju's calls: Rhea Chakraborty

You are following the footsteps of your VJ friends like Rannvijay, Anusha Dandekar, Nikhil Chinapa and Ayushmann Khurrana to make a filmi debut... When I was studying in college, a teen reality show happened to me, after which I was asked to audition for a VJ's post. It all happened by chance. I always wanted to do something in the glamour world, but was not clear about what it would be.So, when I got a chance to act, I grabbed it. Now that I'm in this filmi world, I'm enjoying it.
How did 'Tuneega Tuneega' happen? Two years ago, MS Raju, the producer of the film, called me several times. Since I had no clue about the South film industry, I avoided his calls. When I mentioned this to one of my Telugu friends, he told me M S Raju is one of the biggest producers down South and that I should apologise to him for ignoring his calls! So, I called him and we met. I did a few photo shoots with his son Sumanth Ashwin, who's my co-star in the film, and soon, I bagged this role.
So, it was a conscious decision to make your debut with a Telugu film? More or less, yes! To be very frank, when I entered the film industry, I had no idea what acting was all about. Then this Telugu project came my way, even before I could get any offer from Bollywood. And I'm glad that I took this up, because I learned so much in the process. I must say that South filmmakers are hard taskmasters. The industry has taught me discipline, among other things, before I even signed my first Bollywood flick, about which I can't reveal much right now.
How was the shooting experience? The movie is a musical love story and is based on a true story. We took two long years to complete this film, so it's more than just a film for me. Moreover, it was amazing to work with my co-star Sumanth, who's also making his debut with this film. We both learned to act and dance together and we really bonded during the whole process.
So, you are game for more Telugu films? Oh, yes. I would definitely love to do more Telugu films. And since we shot 'Tuneega Tuneega' for so long, I can understand Telugu very well. Now, I want to learn it completely so I can dub for myself in my next film.
Are you open to doing item numbers here? If anything exciting comes my way and the song is very catchy, I don't mind doing it. But now that I'm enjoying acting, it's lead roles that I'm looking out for.
Will VJing take a backseat now? Though I'm getting offers from Bollywood, I don't want to let go of VJing yet. I'll try to balance both and will choose only shows I want to do and films that excite me. But yes, I know that you have to be very focused to get a foothold in Bollywood. Plus, I'm a person who lives in the present and doesn't think too much about the future. I have no plan. If I get to work in films, I'll do it and if not, I'll chill too.
You are turning 20 on July 1... Any plans to celebrate? The only thing that scares me is that I'll be turning 20 and will no longer be in my teens! But otherwise, I'm very excited about my birthday. I tell my friends to start wishing me seven days prior to my birthday and bring me nice gifts! But, I doubt I can plan something this time, because I might be shooting for my Bollywood film and I might end up celebrating on the sets.