Urvashi Rautela: The actress who nearly joined IIT

Dubai - During a recent short visit to Dubai, we caught up with the beautiful actress at the Burj Al Arab

When you hear the name Urvashi Rautela, the image that comes to mind is of a sizzling hot girl with more beauty queen titles to her name than you can count on one hand. Plus a picture of a ravishing Bollywood actress gyrating to the remix of the classic 1981 Amitabh Bachchan hit Yaarana, Saara Zamana Haseeno Ka Deewana in the Hrithik Roshan starrer Kaabil.
During a recent short visit to Dubai, we caught up with the beautiful actress at the Burj Al Arab. "For the very first time I've come to Dubai not for any particular activity," the actress told us, " it's more of a family vacation."
The last time City Times had spoken with the actress was in 2016 when she starred in Sukhbir Singh's music video Gal Ban Gayi. The National level basketball player who had trained in taekwondo and other martial arts for the video still seemed to be on top of her game as evidenced by the plethora of awards she seems to have racked up of late. Be it the Dadasaheb Phalke Award she picked up under the 'Best Promising Performer Catgory' or the Special Jury Award at the TSR TV9 National Awards for Best Female Debut in South Indian cinema for Mr. Airavata, Urvashi seems to be on a swing. "It's been a great year. Can't believe that I won 7 back to back awards!," the actress still seems to be pinching herself to believe the accolades coming her way.
"The Dadasaheb Phalke award was something really prestigious cause he is somebody I have been studying about since childhood and getting your name associated with such an amazing person, who is also the father of Indian cinema (he was the first man to make a full feature film Raja Harishcahdra in 1913) is like a feature on the cap for me!"
Great going for an actress who made her debut in 2013 opposite Sunny Deol in Singh Saab the Great and then went on to do roles in 2016's Sanam Re, Great Grand Masti and Hrithik Roshan starrer Kaabil in 2017.
While the actress is currently on a break to reenergize  before she "gets back into actor mode" she's been pretty active on social media - "maybe that is why I also won the the Most Viral Celeb of the Year award!"
As for the future she promises fans can expect something very different from what she's done before. "As an actor I always strive for excellence. I want to expand my filmography and do different kinds of characters, genres.
And she's clear she doesn't want to mimic any celeb's Bollywood trajectory.
"I'd like to create my own path; that's what I've always learnt. But as an actor I really like Hrithik Roshan. I'd also like to work with Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Aamir for sure.
"Among actresses I'm a huge huge fan of Sridevi maam. She is an extremely amazing actress. And I like Meryl Streep." ambica@khaleejtimes.com
The Last time....
I cried.. while watching Still Alice (2014) Julianne Moore's titular character, Alice, is a professor at Columbia University. After a few incidents of disorientation, she's diagnosed with early onset dementia. The film tracks her descent into the sickness and the toll Alzheimer's takes on family life. Heartbreaking, emotional, and for many families, all too relatable.
Last person I texted... my dad. I try to live my life like my father lives his. He always takes care of everyone else first. He won't even start eating until he's sure everyone else in the family has started eating. Another thing: My dad never judges me by whether I win or lose.
Last Movie I watched. Rocky 4. After Iron Man Drago, a highly intimidating 6-foot-5, 261-pound Soviet athlete, kills Apollo Creed in an exhibition match, Rocky comes to the heart of Russia for 15 pile-driving boxing rounds of revenge. Rocky IV really stood out from the rest of the Rocky films to me, with the whole America versus Russia ordeal. Now it has been mentioned by other critics that this is inaccurate, but who really cares? The point is that you really get to the point where you want Sly to kick Drago's butt in the ring. I enjoyed the training montage, and the boxing scene was so entertaining for me. And with the Russian leaders, and the Russian public standing up and cheering and clapping for Rocky.. a bit corny, but so great. Talia Shire, in my opinion, is at her best in this one out of all the other ones; she seems more confident and easier to get along with her character. And one of the most dramatic scenes to hit cinema was the death of Carl Weathers (Apollo Creed). The idea of fighting for the death of his friend, and for himself is just so inspirational. It just makes you want to jump up and get in the ring to help Rocky. Out of a perfect score of 10, I gave this one a 7.
Last time I lied..I never lie because I don't fear anyone. You only lie when you are afraid. I have a sensible set of values that tell me to never lie. Fear is what pushes people to lie. It's not the lie that bothers me. It's the insult to my intelligence that I find offensive.
Last time I said I love You... was to my dad. My father is my teacher. But most importantly my dad drilled it in my head, that, 'If you want it bad enough, and you're willing to make the sacrifices, you can do it. But first you have to believe in yourself..
Last thing I do before I hit the bed... I just thank God for everything he's done to me. As its rightly said by one of my favorite's Paulo Coelho: "Today don't beg, don't ask, just thank God in silence for all the blessings in your life".
Last thing I want to be remembered for.. I think a lot of people want to be remembered the way they were, as opposed to the way they are now.
The Almost IIT-grad.
Beauty with brains is an oft-heard phrase especially in the acting industry. But in the case of Urvashi Rautela it takes an entirely different dimension. Urvashi, who won many accolades as a beauty queen during her teens, was studying for IIT when life took a totally different turn. "The field I'm in right now is because of family pressure and push from them and friends. From heart I'm a science student. I've cleared IIT with really good scores and was to be an engineer..."
  But she has no regrets today for not pursuing it, and says "I was meant to be in Bollywood; it was my destiny."
Even while concentrating on her studies ("I scored more than 95 per cent in my board examination in the 12th"), "somewhere down the line I was clear that I was going to be here and winning all these international titles and being part of Bollywood."
"I didn't want to have any regrets. I wanted my grandchildren to see my report card and actually say our Nani (grandmother) had really good marks!"
 "Also we have a thing in our family that everyone is a science student, so I just wanted to maintain that!"
Message for Khaleej Times
"Khaleej Times is definitely my most favourite newspaper and I want to say to all the readers, thank you so much. It is only because of you that we are all there.
"Whenever I'm in Dubai, the moment I wake up, the first thing in my hand is KT. It always provides a lot of informative stuff - lot of Bollywood, lot of global awareness, politics and sports...
"My heartfelt thanks to Khaleej Times and Mr Suhail Galadari for always being there. He's a gem of a person... and a lot of credit goes to him as well and the entire team of KT who've been doing an amazing job. So all the best!"
Beauty queen with a Purpose
She's won many a beauty pageant with the Miss India Universe 2015 title being the cherry on the cake. But that was till TC Candler Poll results came out late last year and 23-year old Urvashi Rautela was counted among the '100 most Beautiful Faces of the Year.' 
"It came as a deep shock cause I wasn't aware of it," Urvashi tells us. "I got this at the end of last year. They got my name as the youngest most beautiful woman in the world!
"Ash Maam (Aishwarya Rai) was always in the list - so to be in that list which has all your favourite people - be it Victoria's Secret Angels, Naomi Watts, Adriana Lima, Angelina Jolie, Charlize Theron - getting to be part of the list and being the youngest member - I'm still in shock!
"I'd like to believe that I'm not on the list because of any physical attributes, but because of the work I've done, the foundation which I have, the charities I've been part of, be it the Smile Foundation, or the Urvashi Rautela Foundation and the kind of impact or little bit of change I was able to make in society. That should be the reason I'm on the list."
Keeping fit with Urvashi Rautela
Working out
I simply believe that if you do what an athlete does, you will end up looking like one. Plus, it won't be boring like weight-lifting or other monotonous activities, and the benefits are guaranteed. Shadow boxing is great. You can also do the conditioning a boxer does, like jumping rope, abs workout, and push-ups to supplement your activity. If you're more of a lover than a fighter, I also approve of ballet, running, and cycling. Create your playlist so your song selection gets more motivating as you workout. I love new electronica for my workouts or incredible electronic and house music, which is extremely motivating. It has a great pace, so you can really move to it. I also like hip hop, such as Jay Z or Rick Ross. The last song should be the most impactful.
On her diet
Consistency is very important when it comes to eating. Every night, I down a beverage made with buckwheat, which, despite the name, isn't actually wheat. Rather, it's a grain-like seed that's gluten-free, packed with protein. It can help satisfy cravings for sweets and boost the metabolism. I'll mix [buckwheat] with hemp milk and honey, and I'll eat it hot or cold depending on how I feel. Eating buckwheat before bedtime actually helps you burn calories while you sleep. And I follow the Japanese principle of 'Hara hachi bu,' which means, 'Eat until you are 80 per cent full.' I haven't had alcohol ever in my life really, and avoid refined sugars year-round.
On her body
Before hitting the beach, I always make sure to use sunscreen and then to have a nice glow. It gives you that perfect sun-kissed bronze skin. I also love to give my face a spritz of rosewater - I keep it in my beach bag to use throughout the day to stay refreshed. Always fit in a workout the night before or the morning of your beach day even if you don't notice that much of a physical difference, it will make you feel more confident. I like a mix of cardio and abs, so you feel really sleek and chiseled. If you don't like doing it, find something to motivate you - cute new workout clothes, an amazing playlist, a great scenic path, or a fitness buddy. I play a lot of beach paddle ball. It's fun and doesn't feel like you are working out. I also like to do beach runs in the sand; it gets you in shape really quickly. My favourite exercises are anything that works out your lower body-squats, lunges, kickboxing, dead-weight lifts. I like anything that makes your tush rounder and firmer for bikini season. I feel that I really got lucky with my skin. I don't have to do anything because I have been brought up playing in the midst of nature and wildlife. I rarely use gold leaf sheet masks.
 

• City Times enjoys dinner with Bollywood's Urvashi Rautela