Many would tell you that the ground rule to lead an adaptation is to watch the original material first. But Nushrratt Bharuccha stayed away from Lapachhapi, the 2017 Marathi film that has inspired her upcoming movie, Chhorii.

Reason? She wanted to discover the twists in the story along with her character, thus offering an honest portrayal. “I haven’t seen the original film. It was also a conscious decision to not read the full script of Chhorii,” says Bharuccha, before adding, “I didn’t go to an acting school; I have learnt on the job. So, I decided to try a new way of approaching the film. By not knowing what’s coming next, I was as vulnerable and unprepared as Sakshi [her character] was. I didn’t want to preempt the [proceedings].”

Lapachhapi tells the story of a pregnant woman who moves into a new house, only to realise that it is haunted. While being a horror film, the story deftly tackled age-old societal beliefs and practices. Bharuccha says it was emotionally draining to portray the character for director Vishal Furia’s remake. 

“Surviving in a situation that [she] has no control over makes [my character] feel vulnerable as well as strong. She feels responsible for her child. It drained me so much that I broke down twice on the set. I was crying in the field. The team could not control me, so they just let me pour it all out.”

The Amazon Prime Video offering is a departure from the comedies that she is usually associated with. “My career started with the clutter-breaking Love Sex Aur Dhokha [2010], but then I got typecast. That said, my sensibilities haven’t changed. I believe in content more than anything else. It took a while [for content-driven films] to come my way again.”

Nushrratt Bharuccha on her first horror film; admits she was petrified when she stepped out after three months of lockdown for dubbing
Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 17, 2020)

Unlock 1.0 may have changed the routine of many, but Nushrratt Bharuccha is staying home. “My unlock has been locked. I only went for some urgent dubbing and since I was out, I got myself a coffee, but carried my own mug,” she shares.

The actress lives in a building which opens to a beach. But while other residents have been chilling there all this time, she did not venture out due to the Coronavirus lockdown. “Now, I have started going there on some days, but only till the gate. The only thing I would risk stepping outside for is work and that is not happening right now,” she sighs.

Nushrratt admits that while she was excited to go for dubbing, she asked her driver about 50 times if the car had been sanitised before getting in, and on reaching the studio, was petrified of walking into a building which was not her own. “I saw people who weren’t my family and that was scary. Even when I met people who were familiar, I showed my excitement from afar,” she reminisces. Inside, she refused to sit on the sofa until she was assured that it had been sanitised. “My director asked me if I was going on a space mission since I was covered from head to toe,” she laughs. Ask her what was the dubbing for, and she turns mum, not prepared to announce it just yet.

During the lockdown, the actress had announced her next, Chhori, a remake of the Marathi horror film Lapachhapi, with Vishal Furia, who directed the original, returning to helm the Hindi adaptation. This is the first film that Nushrratt will lead from the front and she is terrified. “I haven’t ever done a role where I’m responsible for every emotion in the film. I have to scare the viewers, make them emotional and laugh too. The film revolves around this one person stuck in a situation. But I’m excited to be the makers’ first choice,” she exults.

To prep for her role, the actress has been working on gaining weight to look like a pregnant girl. “Soon, Vishal will give me the first draft of the script and then we will be able to crack it,” she informs, adding that there is no plan on when the film will go on floors and she’s not complaining.

Right now, she’s not even ready for a photo-shoot. “You have to touch everything around because you can’t do one with gloves on and I can’t see myself doing that,” she rues, admitting that even visits to salons are strictly out of question for now, as also gyms. “I will buy all the equipment and open a gym in my building,” she quips.

And what’s the status quo on the sequel to her 2018 comedy, Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety? She is clueless on its progress, but sure has some ideas for Part 2. “Now, I can finally tell the makers to make someone else the antagonist. They owe me that,” she laughs, admitting that she is sure that by the interval, they will have her convinced to switch roles again. “They are used to having me as the bad girl. If I am not the villain, the audience won’t watch the flim.”

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; May 29, 2020)

After a string of comedies, Nushrat Bharucha is ready to try her hand at horror with Chhori, the Hindi remake of the 2017 Marathi hit, Lapachhapi. The film marks the first collaboration of Abundantia Entertainment and Crypt TV, the American entertainment company that specialises in horror outings.

With a pregnant woman at the centre of the narrative, Lapachhapi deftly weaves a tale of terror that addresses social evils. "This genre excites me, and the story is impactful as it is anchored in the practices of our society. Abundantia is known to make films with strong female voices. As an actor, I couldn't ask for more," says Bharucha.

Director Vishal Furia says he is honoured that Jack Davis, co-founder, Crypt TV, chose his Marathi offering for an adaptation. "I want to take the remake a few steps further and make it more thrilling. Partnering with Vikram [Malhotra] and Jack has been a wonderful process," says Furia, who has also helmed Criminal Justice.