Director Abhishek Kapoor feels nostalgic remembering his critically acclaimed film, Kai Po Che!. The movie marked the Bollywood debut of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput and also featured actors Amit Sadh and Rajkummar Rao in lead roles.

Ask if he has a knack for launching actors in films successfully, right from Rajput to Sara Ali Khan in Kedarnath (2018) and pat comes his response. “It is always instinctive. Sometimes, you also cast new people because you don’t get the actors you want. There is no recipe. I wanted to cast Sushant because I had known him for years.”

Talking about late actor’s first day on set, the Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui (2021) director says, “He (Rajput) was like high voltage. Yes, he wouldn’t talk much. There are actors who talk about their craft. [However], this guy was the complete opposite. He was not articulate about his process when you spoke to him. It showed in his performance that he would transform [into the character]. He is no more today. He is highly treasured.”

Speaking about Sadh and Rao, Kapoor says, “Amit Sadh had the most complicated character. Rajkummar was just so easy in his role. All three of them had terrific rapport.”

The 51-year-old tells us that there is nothing planned as of now to mark the 10-year milestone achieved by the film. “I am just starting to shoot a new film. I am so consumed with that. I don’t have the time.”

The award-winning director adds, “Completing 10 years is, of course, a milestone. The fact that we are still discussing about the film means a lot.”