Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; September 2, 2017)

Though Bollywood and Raj Thackeray haven’t been on the best terms since MNS’s ban on Pakistani artistes, industry insiders say there’s another side to the politico. “He is a movie buff,” Ashoke Pandit, former CBFC member, had told mid-day in an interview.

It seems his daughter Urvashi Thackeray has taken after him in this regard. The political scion, 22, has taken baby steps into Bollywood — she served as an assistant director on Varun Dhawan’s Judwaa 2. A unit hand said, “Usually kids with political lineage have starry airs. But Urvashi was down to earth. For most part of the shoot, no one knew that she is Raj sir’s daughter.”

Turns out, David Dhawan was initially apprehensive whether the youngster would be able to cope with the gruelling schedule of a film shoot. However, he soon realised the Thackeray grit runs in her veins too. Talking to mid-day, Dhawan said, “When I first met her, I wasn’t sure if she would be able to cope with the shoot. But, she put her heart and soul into this project. She was grounded, motivated and a boon to our team. For her first film, she has fared very well.”

Rumour has it that producer Sajid Nadiadwala will mentor Thackeray over their next few projects. While Baaghi 2 is in the pipeline, it is unclear whether Thackeray will be associated with the action drama starring Tiger Shroff and Disha Patani. “She is currently relishing the joy of seeing her first film take shape,” revealed a source from the production house.

When we reached out to Thackeray for a comment, she politely declined saying, “I have a long way to go. I am not comfortable with speaking to the press yet.”