Rasha Thadani, who is all set to make her Bollywood debut with Abhishek Kapoor’s film Azaad, opened up about the paparazzi culture and the pressure of always being in front. In an exclusive interview with India Today Digital, the actor talks about his first meeting with the photographers.

Raveena Tandon’s daughter Rasha recalls her first meeting with the paparazzi, which was absolutely normal. She shared, “I went to the salon to get my hair washed and the paparazzi mistook me for my mother because our car number was the same. However, it turned out to be me!”

Since that day, going out in public has meant being under constant media scrutiny. “Getting slapped has become a regular part of my life,” she admitted. But now, she has learned to enjoy the attention.

“I am always prepared. I don’t leave the house without my kajal and lip gloss. If I’m not wearing makeup, I make sure to wear sunglasses,” she said.

The actor also shared how the pressure of constantly being in the public eye affected him initially.

“When I finished shooting this film, the applause went up. At first I was really scared of them. I would get worried, thinking, ‘What if this picture comes out and I look like this?’ or ‘What if I’m doing something weird?’ Believe me, there have been videos where I’ve thought, ‘Oh my God, why do I look like this or act like that?'” Rasha said.

But with time, she understood the paparazzi and their role in the entertainment world. “Now, I have this friendly equation with him. I see them not just as cameras, but as people. It has become easier to connect with and I am not as intimidated by the lens anymore.”

Rasha is debuting with Aman Devgan. Azad is scheduled to release in theaters on January 17.