Only five films old, Kriti Sanon might have worked with Bollywood’s top stars in her selected outings but for the 28-year-old, a film’s script rules supreme.
She has starred in four movies in five years and now is gearing up for four other releases in 2019 alone. Needless to say, Sanon is excited and rearing to go. Here, she talks about working with first-time director Laxman Utekar, both the Khurrana brothers, Pankaj Tripathi and her new-found love for comedies.
What’s been the most interesting thing about working on Luka Chuppi?
This has been the fastest film that I have shot for. We were done in 40 days start to finish. We didn’t know when the film ended. We shot in Gwalior and Mathura. I love shooting in real locations—it gives you the feeling of being there rather than just being on a fake set. It’s got its own flavour.
I feel there are certain scripts that choose you. Luka Chuppi was one of those. Initially I couldn’t take it up because of some issue with the dates. But then I suddenly got free around the same time and after some back and forth, it was on.
It is Laxman Utekar’s first film. Were you apprehensive about working with a debutant director?
He has a great idea of the visuals he wants, of how he sees the film and wants to make it. He is also a great actor. When you are working with a new director, it is that person’s vision that makes you want to better the film. When I was hearing Luka Chuppi, there is this scene where hum naada baadh ke shaadi karte hai. He literally performed it for me while narrating and I could just see the scene come alive. I was very confident about him.
How was it working with Pankaj Tripathi again after Bareilly Ki Barfi?
I love him. Unfortunately, I haven’t got many scenes with him this time. Kartik has more scenes with him. After Bareilly, we genuinely started feeling like father and daughter. Even while shooting for Luka Chuppi, he would call me Bitti (her character in Bareilly) only.
The first scene that I shot with him in this film has him checking me out and saying ‘humein bhi chahiye’. But he was like ‘Tum toh Bitti ho. Main tumhe aise kaise bolu. Upar se neeche dekh raha hu. Thoda ajeeb lag raha hai.’ But considering the fantastic actor that he is, there was obviously no problem once the camera started rolling. However, it was damn funny.
Now that you’ve worked with both the Khurrana brothers—Ayushmann and Aparshakti—how similar or different are they?
They sound extremely similar. If you close your eyes, you can’t make out who it is. Both are supremely talented actors and easy to work with. They have a similar sense of humour and they both crack a lot of bad jokes. Both are very Punjabi, but I feel Apar is more ‘seedha.’ They are simple, genuine and that’s what I love about them.
After Bareilly, this is the second film in which you’re playing a small-town girl. Are there any reference points, mannerisms that you keep in mind while playing such characters?
It depends on the character. For example, in Bareilly, Bitti was born and brought up in Bareilly and she had lived there all her life. So even though she was educated and a little modern with respect to the local girls, with her there was a dialect, which was important because that’s how she talks. She also has a tone, a twang which I got after talking to a few college girls in Lucknow, taping the conversation and listening to it over and over again. Bitti was also a bit of a tomboy. So she would not walk or sit like every other girl. She won’t care. These were the small things that I took care of.
Rashmi (her character in Luka Chuppi), on the other hand, was born in Mathura but has done her education from Delhi. She is way more liberal, someone who is slightly more aspirational for a Mathura boy. She is mature and gutsy enough to go for a live-in relationship. She is impulsive, so I have made her talk fast. Her spoken language is a little polished, she is better than Guddu at English but she does not have the best pronunciation. I have ensured that she has a slight coarseness to her. These little nuances you try and find for yourself in the script.
You have an exciting year ahead of you—other than Luka Chuppi, there is Arjun Patiala, Housefull 4 and Panipat, all of which are big commercial films. Has it been a conscious choice to get associated with box-office pot-boilers?
It’s not like I want to only work with people who are well-known. I don’t believe that stars make a film. I go more with the script and my gut feeling. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. It’s always instinctive when I choose a film. It is always about whether I am enjoying this world and I’d like to watch it for two hours and spend my money on it or not.
But sometimes other things also attract you. For instance, with Bareilly, I was sold on the character in the first 20 minutes. Luka Chuppi, Arjun Patiala and Housefull 4 are all comedies but still each is in a completely different space. After Bareilly, maybe I found myself getting a little bit attracted to comedy. I didn’t realise it when I said yes to the films.
What's the best and the worst part about being a celebrity?
The best part is the unconditional love that you get from everywhere without even knowing those people. You can spread so much happiness without doing much—just a wave, a smile or a selfie is enough. It is overwhelming at times.
The worst part would be being judged way too often on way too many things. You can never be absolutely free. You can’t just step out in ‘chappals’ and ‘pyjamas’ and take an auto and sit on Bandstand and enjoy the view. I miss doing these things.
One female actor you find aspirational and would want to work with?
I have been a Madhuri fan. And of course Rekha ji. From today’s generation, I like Priyanka, Anushka and Alia’s work. All three of them have starkly different body of work but nonetheless inspirational.
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Read: Pankaj Tripathi Has Begun to Feel the Pressure of Not Wanting to Disappoint People
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