Ex national-level players Rakul Preet, Ritika Singh open up on their love for sports
The spontaneity and ease in front of the camera makes it hard to believe that these two glam girls were once National level athletes.
Both these gorgeous actresses rank among the most talented, as well as glamorous in the southern cinema industries today — but they could have chose totally different fields at one point of time! Spyder’s Rakul Preet Singh and Irudhi Suttru’s Ritika Singh have earned a multide of fans for their commercial roles — but it could have all been so different...
Rakul Preet
Actor Rakul Preet never ceases to surprise. She was a professional golf player and played at the national level. It was her father who urged her to take up the sport.
“I took up golf not knowing that I would become a professional player. Gradually my game improved and I played for Women’s Nationals. Although I love the sport, I always knew I couldn’t make a career out of it. I gave up the sport because I wanted to be in showbiz. But, my dad insisted that I could get into modeling only at 19. So, I played golf every day till I was that age. I quit playing professionally because I had to take care of my tan and started modeling,” she says.
Does she miss the game? She replies, “I only wish I could have little more time to play golf because I love the sport and it is addictive. My ideal Sunday includes playing golf and having brunch. I enjoyed the competitive part of the sport because it made me a tougher person and helped me face the challenges in life. But, I’m very happy to be in a profession that I was always passionate about — films.”
Ritika Singh
A national-level kickboxer and mixed martial arts expert, Ritika Singh too gave in to the temptation of acting. “Doing a film is a different experience. Moreover, who will say no to a Raj Kumar Hirani film? I could not have got a better role for my debut,” she justifies.
The actress won the National Award in the Special Mention category for the sports drama Irudhi Suttru. So does that mean sports might take a backseat? “No! I am inspired by Ronda Rousey. She is a fighter and also a superstar in films. I want to be like her — balance both boxing as well as acting. I will continue to train whenever I have fights,” Ritika explains.
Joining the distinct league of actors, who were once national-level sports players, are Naga Shourya and Mehreen Kaur. While the former played tennis at the national level, the latter was part of the pre-nationals camp in Air Pistol Shooting.