Actor Vaani Kapoor feels relieved as her riskiest project to date, Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui, has been getting good reviews. And the reason everything about her part in the film had been kept under wraps till its release is finally in the public domain now — her character, Maanvi, is a trans woman.

“I am happy that everybody is liking it. I am grateful that the audiences are accepting it, it is being viewed in the correct light. I hope more people go and watch it, and give it a chance,” says Kapoor.

But the 33-year-old realises that right now, not every film will have people heading to the theatres. The rising threat of the Omicron variant amid the ongoing pandemic will likely make people think twice.

“I understand the logistics, having faced a pandemic, people being scared, even the financial aspect of it. Entertainment is not on the top of their lists now. But I feel Chandigarh... is a must-watch film. I am not saying this because I am in it, but the message has been packaged in an entertaining form,” the actor adds.

The best compliment which has come her way so far has been from the transgender community, she tells us. Those who watched it told Kapoor they could relate to her portrayal of the character.

“Saisha Shinde (a transgender designer) had perhaps a tougher experience than my character. She loved it, and put it out on social media as well that I got the nuances right. She met me and told me the character resonated with her a lot. For me, that is a compliment. Then I met Simran Sahni, who brought the idea of the film to Gattu (director Abhishek Kapoor). She has two trans daughters, and she said they got teary eyed (on watching the film) and felt connected. They felt proud that I did the film. That’s the compliment which was the best. We never wanted it to be caricaturish. If we were falling short of it, and there was no connect with who I am trying to represent, then I failed at it,” concludes the actor.