I was awestruck when I saw John for the first time -Raashi Khanna

Newbie Raashi Khanna who is making her big-screen debut with Madras Cafe is your quintessential girl-next-door; someone you would like to introduce your mom to. Beautiful, bubbly and full of life, Raashi wanted to be a singer until modeling happened by chance. “You won’t believe if I say this but I was at a mall when some people approached me and said we would like to feature you on the cover of Femina,” says Raashi whose career took off after she was featured on the cover of the July 2009 issue of Femina. More ads and shoots followed for Raashi till an advertisement for Tata Sky caught Madras Cafe’s casting director’s eye who then called her up for an audition. Audition done, Raashi went back home with absolutely no hopes of making the cut. But much to her pleasant surprise she passed the audition. “I really didn’t think I would get the role of ‘Ruby Singh’ as it’s a very mature character. But, just within a week after the audition, I got a call informing me that I have been selected and I was like ‘Really! I couldn’t believe my ears,’ exclaims Raashi. If making her silver screen debut was a pleasant surprise, then being cast opposite John Abraham was the icing on the cake for this Delhi girl. And by her own admission, she was ‘awestruck’ when she saw John for the first time. “I was like ‘Oh My God!’ when I saw him on the sets and didn’t know what to say. But John broke the ice with casual conversations,’ recalls Raashi who plays Ruby Singh, army officer Vikram Singh’s (John) wife in the movie. Being a debutant and from a non-army background, Raashi had reservations about playing Ruby Singh as it required the portrayal of a gamut of serious emotions. But her director Shoojit was quite sure she could essay the role perfectly. “Shoojit Sir had more faith in me than I had in myself. He made me attain that level of maturity that the character needs and worked on my tonality and diction,” says Raashi crediting the director for his sweetness and patience while directing a newcomer. With only days away before Madras Cafe hits the silver screen, Raashi admits she is both excited as well as nervous. As for now, she says she is ready to take on any good role that comes to her though she just stops shy of revealing that she indeed has another film in her kitty with Ayushmann Khurrana.