Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 17, 2018)

Tapsee Pannu, who went to the Valley for the first time last week for Manmarziyaan, says that she’d love to go back to Sonamarg to ski. “We were on a tight schedule, so we had to stick to shooting. While I was there, I realised that Sonamarg is one of the safest destinations in Kashmir. We shot with locals amidst snow-capped mountains. I also saw tourists who were there for skiing and other adventure activities,” sighs the actress, who returns to Mumbai today. She was joined by Abhishek on April 13 for a 3-day shoot.

The unit was put up in traditional villas in the middle of wilderness, separatists called for a two-day shutdown following a stone-pelting incident. But Taapsee maintains that it didn’t disrupt shooting. “It was a smooth shoot and a great break from the terrains of Amritsar. The snow and clean rivers, the greenery were refreshing,” she said. “It was a rare, beautiful experience. Distant from our city lives.”

Getting to know “prankster Abhishek” was among the many firsts of Taapsee’s trip. “With his dry wit and sarcastic humour, he loves keeping everyone on their toes and is always cracking jokes. No one can trump him at on-set pranks,” she laughed. During breaks, she would sun-bathed while covered from head to toe in warm clothes; Anurag and Co played cricket on the sets with the locals.