Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; September 5, 2017)

Before it shattered box-office records, South actor Prabhas’s epic fantasy Baahubali 2: The Conclusion caused sufficient frenzy to pique the interest of cinema lovers. Such was the furore over S S Rajamouli’s magnum opus, that its actors, like their onscreen avatars, seemed to grow larger than life. The attention given to the outing wasn’t lost on Bollywood artistes either, with Shraddha Kapoor excitedly chiming, “Prabhas seems unreal.”

As the actor closes in on the moment she will meet Prabhas on the set of their upcoming film, Saaho, her excitement is palpable. “I am dying to meet Baahubali. Unfortunately, we’ve not met, but regularly connect on calls and texts. We will start shooting this month,” adding that working with a co-star one isn’t familiar with is difficult, but she is certain that this journey will pan out differently.

Kapoor’s much-anticipated biopic, Haseena Parkar in which she plays sister to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, is garnering buzz. The actor had gained weight to give credibility to her role as the protagonist, but is currently struggling to knock off the kilos for her upcoming outings, including a biopic of badminton ace, Saina Nehwal.

Abiding by her hectic schedule as she prepares for the films is testing, she says. “I wake up at 6 am for badminton classes. I have had 32 of them so far. I haven’t met Saina, but that’s fine. I want to look convincing enough to play her, before interacting with her. She is guiding me as much as possible between her tournaments.”

The last commercial success that Kapoor enjoyed was her 2016 A film Baaghi. While her successive outings like Rock On 2, OK Jaanu and Half Girlfriend received attention, the films failed to make a mark at the box office. Kapoor isn’t indifferent towards failures, but says she has learnt to shield herself from negativity. “I have developed a personal defence mechanism.”