Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who has a release in Heropanti 2 this week, will soon switch gears to front the thriller, Afwaah that marks his maiden collaboration with Bhumi Pednekar. Not many know that Sudhir Mishra’s directorial venture revolves around the mysterious happenings of one night. Come June, the cast and crew will head to Rajasthan where they will only shoot nights over the one-month-plus schedule.

Through its two central characters, the thriller delves into the quirky and twisted psyche of humans. A trade source reveals, “Afwaah revolves around how people believe rumours over facts these days. It’s a road thriller that will be filmed entirely over nights, and wrapped up in a start-to-finish schedule in Alwar.”

Shooting after hours is not new to Mishra, whose Iss Raat Ki Subah Nahin (1996) too played out over one night. The director is excited to reunite with Siddiqui after their acclaimed satire Serious Men (2020).

“Nawaz has a strong skill set, yet he approaches his roles in an innocent and naïve way. I like the combination of the brilliant technical control that he has [over his craft], and the way he allows the moment to affect him. Nawaz never tries to show off as an actor; he never attempts to obstruct the scene, but allows it to go wherever it needs to. At the end of the film, you realise what an effortless performance he has given,” says the director. He is looking forward to working with Pednekar, as he says, “Bhumi is one of the best actors we have today. She flows [as an artiste].”