Manjot Singh on his co-star and the third instalment of his buddy comedy
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 23, 2019)

Manjot Singh, who made his debut with Dibakar Banerjee’s 2008 directorial Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!, going on to play one of the central characters in the Fukrey franchise, is basking in the success of his last turn. “This is the maximum screen time I have got in a film and I’m glad it has done well,” he says about the Ayushmann Khurrana-starrer Dream Girl, in which he played his best friend.

He adds that he bonded with his co-star over their Punjabi connection. “After Badhaai Ho and AndhaDhun, I was wondering what he would be like, but he never behaved like a star. He treated me like a younger brother,” Manjot shares.

By his own admission, he is getting more offers, but there’s a lot of stereotyping involved. “People think that if someone has done a comedy film, they become a comedian. But most of the comedy I have done was situational. Now, I am trying hard to break that stereotype and do something different,” the actor asserts, adding that people believe that Sikh actors are more suited for comedy. “It’s unfortunate. I’m hoping to break the stereotype with my acting skills. I’ve been told I am the Nawazuddin Siddiqui of Sardars, which I think is a big compliment,” he smiles.

Ask him about Fukrey 3 and the actor shares, “It is a special film. After I won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Debut Actor for Oye Lucky…, I wasn’t getting the kind of roles I wanted. Fukrey was a turning point in my life. Writing on Fukrey 3 is almost complete and we should start shooting in 2020. The third part will be much bigger and funnier,” Manjot signs off.