After foraying into Bollywood with Goodbye last year, Rashmika Mandanna is gearing up for her second Hindi offering, Mission Majnu. While Netflix’s espionage thriller focuses on Sidharth Malhotra’s character who goes undercover in Pakistan to neutralise a nuclear weapon facility, Mandanna plays his wife Amrin. The challenge of playing a visually impaired character drew her to the role.

“I did a two-week workshop to understand the mannerisms of a visually impaired woman. Your line of vision must be straight; you cannot let the camera capture the fact that you know where you are going,” she states.

The actor found an able guide in director Shantanu Bagchi as she prepped for the part. She elaborates, “[When shooting a scene], I had to count my steps, [and ensure] that my focus was not on the direction in which I am walking. Instead, I concentrated on portraying the part honestly. For instance, in a scene where Amrin is cooking for Tariq [Malhotra’s character], I had to change my line of sight. I couldn’t focus on making rotis or lighting the stove. Such technical nuances were the trickiest part of filming.”

Mission Majnu, set in the 1970s, is said to be inspired by true events. Mandanna is impressed by the clarity with which Bagchi approached his maiden feature film. “He is detail-oriented, and understands the smallest of nuances. From the surroundings, to the tone of delivery, he knew exactly what he wanted.”