Jersey is as much a relationship drama as it is a sports film. Gowtam Tinnanuri’s directorial venture sees Mrunal Thakur as a headstrong woman who has to run the household and take care of her child when the cricketing dreams of her husband — essayed by Shahid Kapoor — are shattered. Thakur says she could identify with the nurturing streak of her character as she harboured similar feelings towards younger brother Mandar during their growing-up years.

“I was unofficially given the duty of [taking care of] my younger brother while we were growing up, and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. It’s a natural instinct for every elder sister to mother their younger siblings. In Jersey, I play a mother who is trying to make ends meet while also taking care of her child. The role came naturally to me [because of my past experiences], right from my prep to bring depth into my performance, to the very last shot,” says the actor.

The emotional prep aside, Thakur says cracking the two distinct looks for the film was integral. A chunk of the drama is set in the ’90s, while the second half plays out in the present day. The actor says, “Along with my stylist, I locked the looks. We raided my family albums to understand [the styles prevalent in that decade].”