The film industry has long been perceived as a dog-eat-dog world. Yet, there are several instances when actors or filmmakers have supported each other. Aparshakti Khurana, who is having his moment in the sun after the success of Jubilee, has a prime example. He remembers how actor-friend Rajkummar Rao, during the shoot of Stree (2018), had made him see his true potential.

He recalls, “On the sets of Stree, Raj and I were talking about how I was only getting comedies back-to-back. He told me, ‘There’s only one man who can change this for you — Vikramaditya Motwane.”

Five years on, Rao’s words have turned prophetic. With Jubilee, Motwane made Khurana step into the role of Binod Das — a seemingly reliable lab assistant who has burning ambitions of his own — thus giving the actor his breakout project. Khurana recounts that he was initially in two minds between the series and three films that were offered to him. It was Rao who nudged him towards the period piece.

“Raj bhai and I were discussing that I would have to dedicate two years to Jubilee, and let go of the three films that were offered to me. Those films may or may not have changed my positioning, but I had to consider various factors. But Raj said, ‘This is it. Forget those three films.’ He looks out for me. I could’ve been sitting with someone else who would’ve said, ‘You should do those films, you’ll earn far more. Those are movies, this is OTT!’ There were people who said that.” He adds that after the show’s screening, he received a long, warm hug from Rao.

Khurana says his colleagues’ goodness has continued in the form of appreciation after the series — also starring Prosenjit Chatterjee, Aditi Rao Hydari and Sidhant Gupta — dropped online. “[Recently], I got a message from Ranveer Singh that read, ‘Aparshakti be******d!’ Today, abuses are feeling nice. As a host, I’ve always got love from the seniors in the industry. But to get their encouragement in a space like this means a lot to me.”