Brahmastra actress Rashi Mal: ‘Music is my way of expressing things that I feel deeply about’

Rashi Mal calls her acting journey from theatre, ads, and films to OTT organic. The multifaceted artist has been trained in Western classical by Deirdre Lobo, whose mom was the first opera singer, and Samantha Edwards, who has trained Priyanka Chopra and Ananya Birla. From forming a parody band to coming up with her independent music with Rashionality Ch. 1, Rashi chatted with us about her journey in the entertainment industry so far.

What is Rashionality CH. 1?

Rashi Mal: CH means chapter. Rationality is my virtual alias. I felt that it went well with the musical persona that I was trying to build. I think it will always be a work in progress as far as my artistic journey is concerned. So, that was the thought behind the name Rashionality Ch. 1. This particular EP has three songs in it – Yoon Hi, Chalo, and Naariyaan.

‘Yoon Hi’ music video has just been released. This EP is a representation of three different kinds of love. Yoon Hi is about all the good things about romantic love – anticipation, butterflies, being in that moment with somebody that you love, and the contentment that comes with it.

‘Chalo’ is a love letter to yourself for those moments when you’re feeling down and you show yourself some tough love and get up because you have things to do and dreams to achieve. Hence, the title, Chalo.

‘Naariyaan’ is my love letter to women. Women’s empowerment is a subject very close to my heart. I think we often forget our abilities and the journeys of all the women who came before us. So, while I say that this EP is about love, it is in the same breath also about empowerment, because love is empowering.

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How has been the response to the songs?

Rashi Mal: Everyone’s appreciating the lyrics, which for me is a big win. This is my first time writing lyrics and composing music myself. I’ve used Hindi and Urdu because my grandparents came from the Pakistan side of Punjab during the partition, and their language was heavily dominated by Urdu as well. I think there were remnants of that in me, and I used to love the way they used to talk. So, I wanted to make sure that I bring a little bit of that into these songs. So, the lyrics being appreciated is definitely my biggest win.

You are trained as a Western classical vocal artist. When did your inclination towards music start?

Rashi Mal: I was that kid in the family who always used to sing. Singing was the first art form that I was introduced to in that sense, or that I partook in. There came a point where I was training professionally in acting and dancing. And then I was like, “Wait. I used to love singing, so I need to train myself in that as well.”

So, I found these amazing vocal coaches, Deirdre Lobo and Samantha Edwards. The training is Western classical based, but it’s very transposable. My music is Hindi and Urdu, and I’ve written the lyrics as well. Acting needs good vocal ability and good body language. Music needs musicality, which also comes from dance, and expression, which comes from acting. So, I think these skills are very transposable and they aid each other.

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Films and music go hand-in-hand in Indian cinema. Did any songs, singers or musicians leave an impact on you?

Rashi Mal: There are so many and they’re so versatile. I love A.R. Rahman’s music. I think he’s brilliant. There were a few songs that I used to sing a lot as a kid growing up such as Chhoti Si Aasha, and Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga. The beautiful thing about these songs was their lyrics. And that was one of the things that I wanted to be really conscious about.

I think now there’s been a little bit of a shift towards the beats more than the lyrics so that people should be able to dance to those songs. While I’m a dancer and I love that, I think there is also a place for music that has good lyrics. For me, music is self-expression. I can only write about things that I’ve felt and experienced. So, music is my way of expressing things that I feel deeply about or think deeply about.

When did the acting bug bite you?

Rashi Mal: As a kid, I was very shy and inhibited. And every time I looked at people on stage acting, dancing, or singing, I envied the freedom that they had. They were just completely themselves, inhibition-free, and not hindered by anybody watching them. And I always used to feel like this is the level of comfort I want to feel in myself to be able to do anything. And in starting to chase that, I started doing theatre. I started taking part in school, college, all-India, singing, and dancing competitions. Every chance that I got, I used to expose myself to the arts. It’s well known that the arts are therapeutic. I think these bugs bit me as a way of finding myself.

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You have got a chance to rub shoulders with the likes of Kajol in Helicopter Eela (2018), Tillotama Shome in Sir (2018), and Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt in Brahmastra: Part 1 Shiva (2022). What did that experience do for you as an actor?

Rashi Mal: In Sir, I had a lot more to do, but when the film went on the edit table, the editor felt that my character coming back again and again was slowing the pace of the film, which is completely respectable. As actors, we do our jobs, and then we have to leave it to the vision of the director and the editor to create the film.

And Brahmastra was also a film that was shot over, like, seven years, so there was more material. But immaterial of that I’m still very proud of being part of these projects, and I’m very fortunate. I think you learn a lot by just being in the same environment as these actors. One of the attempts that I make is to always work with people whose work I respect and I can learn from for sure. All these people you’ve named have created work of value and they really care about what they do. I think all of these people bring a certain earnestness and a passion for what they do. And that’s always inspiring to be around because it then brings out the best in you as well.

Is it true that you were roped in for Brahmastra at the very last moment before the shoot was going to start?

Rashi Mal: I was called in by somebody who recommended me for the part. I was called to the Dharma Productions’ office, and literally, two days later I was on set shooting. So, it was very quick. I didn’t have any time to process it. But the universe has mysterious ways of working. Like I speak about in my songs, things happen.

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But were you nervous because it was so last minute and were going to face Alia and Ranbir?

Rashi Mal: I think with these guys, there weren’t any nerves, also because I didn’t have any time to think about things. It was meet, costumes, and then directly on set. But it was a good working experience. Ayan Mukerji (director) is very friendly and has the ability to make you feel comfortable. Ranbir and Alia too didn’t have any airs about them. They were warm, so it was quite pleasant. I thankfully had no preconceived notions before going on set because I didn’t have any time to have any preconceived notions [chuckles].

Getting opportunities in the entertainment industry is difficult. And you have to be ready to make the best of the chances that you get. What should the aspiring artists keep in mind about the same?

Rashi Mal: Unfortunately, there’s no set rule or path in this industry. It is very fluid and circumstantial. You have to have your wits about you. You have to be open and ready for opportunities. You will not make all your decisions perfectly, and you have to be okay with that. You have to also trust your intuition and take lots of leaps of faith.

There has to be something in the project for you. Either there’s good exposure or the part is really good, or there’s good money. At different points in your life as an artist, your priorities will change, and those decisions will be different. You just have to make those decisions intuitively. Do you feel good about this? Then take a leap of faith. Some of those decisions will be amazing, and some of those perhaps not be the best, but you will always learn something from them. Most of the calls that I’ve taken have been good calls. I don’t regret them at all.

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How do you plan to balance between acting and music?

Rashi Mal: I think they will always go hand in hand. When I’m not shooting, I use that time to make my music. Music is such an integral part of what we do here that I don’t think they are mutually exclusive. And I think it’s okay to be more than one thing. I think you will see most people are versatile. Internationally, most people are triple threats, they act, sing, and dance. And that’s what I’m aiming to be, one of those people who do all three things at that standard, at that level of proficiency. And I think I’ve trained professionally in all three.