Rachna Parulkar: My respect for Rajasthani warriors

Actress Rachna Parulkar, who is essaying the role of Ajabde in the historical show Maharana Pratap, has developed a special liking for Rajasthan and its warriors.

When she was recently in the city with co-actor Ssharad Malhotra to promote her show, she said, "I have done a couple of shows before Maharana, but I never enjoyed acting so much. I feel more respect for Rajasthani warriors now as I get to hear stories about their courage. Also, essaying a historical character is a lot more responsibility as one has to be very authentic. I had to read and research a lot.

A trained dancer in Kathak and Bharatnatyam, Rachna is also quite familiar with Jaipur. She told us, "After playing a Rajput princess, I feel I have a bond with the desert state. When I started learning kathak, I chose Jaipur gharana. Whenever I came here for dance performances, I always felt some kind of inclination towards the city." Rachna also knows quite a lot about Jaipur's markets. So when we asked her if she was going to shop here, she was ready with her list. "As soon we finish our promotional events, I will go to the markets to buy jhumkas and jootis. I already have a huge collection of jewellery and I keep adding to it," she said.