Last year, Genelia Deshmukh returned to the movies after a decade-long break and tasted success with the Marathi blockbuster, Ved. In her second innings, she is happy to note that novel stories are being written, making it a fulfilling experience for actors to slip into their roles. A perfect example, she says, is Trial Period. The upcoming Jio Cinema offering sees her as a Delhi-based single mother who gives in to her son’s demand and brings him a father, essayed by Manav Kaul, on a 30-day trial period.

To understand the nuances of her character, Deshmukh primarily relied on director Aleya Sen. The actor credits her for building the protagonist down to the last detail. “I’ve never played a Bengali woman before. Aleya was clear about how she wanted each expression and the body language. I also spoke to many single mothers to understand the complexities of [their lives],” says Deshmukh.

Next came creating the look. Costume designer Karishma Gulati put together a look that reflected the character’s individualistic streak, while keeping the outfits’ functionality in mind. The actor elaborates, “We went in for a lot of cotton clothes. Aleya and Karishma worked for many months to come up with something they felt was perfect for the role. When [it comes] to styling, you have to look the part. Often in our quest for looking glamorous, we forget our characters.”

Although Sen usually doesn’t keep an actor in mind while writing a story, she admits that Deshmukh was her first choice for the lead. “Genelia was open to everything, be it the look test or the reading sessions, and got into the skin of the character. The fact that she is also a mother in real life only added to her warmth, both on and off screen.”