Over 18 years since he played a cop in Khakee (2004), Tusshar Kapoor has donned the khaki uniform again for Maarrich. This time around, as ACP Raj Dixit, the actor is in pursuit of a killer who has shaken up the city. Facing the camera after three years since Boo Sabki Phategi (2019) was an exciting yet demanding affair. For starters, Kapoor had to gain over five kilos for Dhruv Lather’s directorial venture.

“Dhruv wanted me to look like the cops we see in real life. He didn’t want me to have a toned physique,” he says. For a self-confessed foodie, gaining the extra kilos wasn’t tough. “I was not working out as I was under the weather at the time, so it became easier to put on the kilos. I added carbs to my diet.”

The next step involved workshops with co-actors Seerat Kapoor, Dipannita Sharma, Himanshu Kohli, and Anita Hassanandani. The workshops were aimed at building chemistry among the actors. For a month, Kapoor also underwent voice modulation training.

“Unlike some of my previous characters in the light-hearted entertainers that required a higher pitch, this one needed a lower pitch. There was considerable time between completing the shoot and dubbing. So, I continued my voice modulation exercises till I completed dubbing.”

Maarrich sees him in the additional role of a producer, after Akshay Kumar’s Laxmii (2020). How was his latest brush with production? “The movie has taken me out of my comfort zone, both as an actor and a producer,” he smiles.