It’s their first Holi together as a couple and they can’t stop grinning ear-to-ear as they pose exclusively for a shoot with HT City. Afterwards actor-couple Rakul Preet Singh and Jackky Bhagnani sit down for a chat with us, sharing their excitement of celebrating the festival as newlyweds. Excerpts:

Jackky: I am very excited because she has finally brought colour to my life.

Rakul: Arre yaar aisi baatein karke hi he takes all the brownie points! (laughs) We haven’t played Holi together before this. This shoot is the first time we have applied colour to each other because Jackky was in London for the first two years [of us dating]. And last year he was shooting for Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, so I played Holi with my friends.

Jackky: I used to play a lot. But of late, I have become conscious about water conservation. Of course we throw colours, but I haven’t played the typical kind of Holi anytime recently.

Rakul: We would love to play the colour wali Holi [as kids]. Any festival is a celebration of your closest people coming together and just having a good time. It’s all about food and feasting.

Jackky: Once my friends and I started playing Holi at nine in the morning, which went on till midnight!

Rakul: In Delhi, we used to play the dirty Holi, throw eggs at each other. When I was in school, we used to throw balloons, use pakka colour that would leave our ears red for a week!

Rakul: I don’t feel even 1% change. When we started dating three years ago, we had a chat about this. We feel complete as individuals and together we are just happier. I don’t have to call him 15 times a day saying, ‘I am getting bored’, ‘How are you?’ I have to figure what I have to do in my life and it’s the same for him. When we are together, we leave work behind. Our biggest strength is that we are best friends!

Jackky: We respect each other’s space and work. I am proud of what she does.

His production venture, Bellbottom is the first film to be shot from start to finish during the Covid-19 pandemic, and Jackky Bhagnani couldn’t be prouder. The young producer, along with the cast and crew of the film, flew to the United Kingdom to shoot in August last year and finished it on September 30.

Talking about the challenges before him, Bhagnani says, “We went at a time when people were not even getting out of the house, they were that scared. But it was a collaborative effort. Primarily, the credit goes to Akshay (Kumar) sir. Him being the leader and saying, ‘Let’s do it’, is how it all happened. I am just very happy.”

Besides Kumar, the film also stars Huma S Qureshi, Vaani Kapoor, Lara Dutta and Adil Hussain. Bhagnani credits the whole team for making the film’s shooting as smooth an affair as it was.

“We had a very positive team. My dad (Vashu Bhagnani), my sister (Deepshikha Deshmukh), Ranjit, the director and all our actors, we all flew together. All 120 people would be together all the time and during the shoot, every seven days, we were getting tested for Coronavirus. It was not easy, it was a production nightmare, but we wouldn’t have been able to do it, if it wasn’t for this crew,” the actor-producer adds.

Not just a logistical challenge, but shooting the film was also an uphill task, financially speaking.

“The expenditure was more than normal. But we still took that plunge. We knew that if we achieved this, we would go down in history. We wanted to be the flag bearers. So we took this strategic call. We were like, ‘someone has to get out there and do it’. Pehli baar aisa laga ki industry ke log bahut khush hai. I can never forget this experience,” Bhagnani says.

A tweet cemented this friendship. Following the announcement of Malala Yousafzai as last year's Nobel Peace Prize winner, Jackky Bhagnani tweeted: “Such good news to hear about MASALA and the noble peace prize.“ One autocorrect can cause a lifetime of troll. Despite owning up to the mistake, the actor found it impossible to live it down. “Whenever I would speak up for a cause, at least four-five people would remind me that I couldn't spell Malala right and so had no right to teach. That I was a producer's (Vashu Bhagnani) son also went against me,“ reminisces Jackky, speaking to Mirror from New York.

Anxious to make amends, he made a video in which he not only accepted his faux paus, but went on to educate people on who Malala was. He wanted her to see it and sent it to her on her birthday. She loved it, they spoke over the phone and he was invited to visit her family in Birmingham. There they told him about the documentary, He Named Me Malala, and invited him to the premiere. Jackky was at New York's Ziegfild Theatre on Thursday as Malala's personal guest and walked the red carpet with Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson. “When I told Scarlett that I was an actor from India, she said she'd love to do a Bollywood film. I told her she could make one with me,“ he laughs.

Jackky acknowledges that while most documentaries can get dry and boring, this one is moving and inspiring. “It's like a film which in 90 minutes tells you who Malala is, why the name, where she came from, what happened to her, her father's role and present goals. Her relationship with her brothers reminds me of the equation I share with my sister, Honey, and the fights we had growing up,“ he says, having woken up early to take our call.

Quiz him on Malala and he says she is a normal teen, an 18 year old who's very real when she talks about causes from the heart, and then turns into a kid. “She loves pink. I gifted her a pink shawl and gave her mother another, which she liked better. The shawls kept going back and forth between them,“ he chuckles, adding that she's a Bollywood fan. “Besides me, she loves Shah Rukh Khan. She's watched my film Youngistaan and like everyone else loves 'Suno Na Sangemarmar'.“

He's touched by the love and respect he got from her “simple, humble family“. In Birmingham they fed him Afghani kebabs and in New York, despite a UN commitment, kept half an hour aside for him before he flew out to India.

“This was my journey too as I, as an individual, have been struggling to find my own identity. I was in New York, all alone, and they made me feel at home and part of the family,“ Jackky says emotionally. “I've told them that when they visit India, I'd love to host them.“

One thing that strikes you about Jackky Bhagnani is his honesty. While diplomacy is a card many play in Bollywood, this young actor impresses with his blunt candour. He doesn't shy away from admitting there are more cons than pros when working with his home banner and having faced criticism early on, he's come to terms with many things in life. We meet up with the young actor at his Juhu office as he gears up for the release of his comedy, Welcome 2 Karachi. Lauren Gottlieb, his co-star in the film, also joins in the tête-à-tête...

Jackky, why a mad comedy like Welcome 2 Karachi?
Honestly, I didn't get a chance to choose the film. I got a call from my father about 48 hours before the film started, saying he was in a soup and he needed me to do this film. Another actor was supposed to do it. I was happy that I could do something in return, even if in a small way, for the company and my father. They had backed me like no one has backed anyone. It's an out-and-out comedy about these characters, in the Dumb And Dumber genre. It's a very funny film with clean comedy. The situations make you laugh rather than the gags, slapstick humour or adult and cheap way of making people laugh.

Jackky, how difficult is I comedy for you?
I'd like to believe I'm a funny guy. But doing comedy in front of the camera is an altogether different ball game. It's all about the medium, the timing... if the timing goes off, you can actually come across as boring. So, it's not very easy on camera, especially if you're doing some thing with Arshad Warsi, whose timing is simply superb.

Jackky, did you get to do any preparation for your role?
None. I was told I'm doing this role, I've to speak in a Gujarati accent. I asked for the dialogues and was told I would get them on the set. So, I never got any prep time. Arshad sir has a knack of improving things for the better, he comes up with something new, and if you're not going with the new, you're not going with the best. What we've seen from rushes, it looks unplanned, that's the benefit we are getting which works for a film like this.

Lauren, coming from a dance and choreography background, what made you do this film?
Everything I do is outside my comfort zone. That's the only time in life I realise I can progress and move to the next level. I cried every single day during my first film ABCD because I didn't know the language, couldn't communicate. But because I eventually got through, I got the benefits. When this film was offered to me, though it's a comedy, mine is a serious part. Here I'm straight-faced and cut to the point, which I don't do in normal life.

Lauren, so are you looking at serious acting roles more than dance-related parts?
Dance will never leave me nor will I leave it. When I meet people and talk about dance, their eyes light up. That's a special thing for me, I dance for that look in people's eyes. I will do that for everyone for the rest of my life. I'm trying to find roles outside my comfort zone, to explore something new so I can grow.

Jackky, you're a good dancer too. But just like you had to work towards Arshad's comic timing, did you find it difficult to match to Lauren's dancing steps?
For a change, I won't be modest, I'm a good dancer. Lauren is supreme. The finishing she has is out of the ordinary, I don't have that. She told me a very important thing, to dance on the back end of a beat. Sometimes I'd do that unknowingly, but most of the time, majority of actors rush. Perhaps Hrithik Roshan is the only exception. So yes, I learnt something new from her about dance to make a better impact.

Jackky, what made you sing in the movie?
I haven't sung, but actually I did the rap. That happened because Rochak Kohli suggested it. He wanted a popular rap artiste and I had spoken to Badshah, who's a friend. But he was unwell, so either we wait or we don't go with the rap and do just the music piece. Rochak suggested I should rap. I was like the way you have two left feet in dancing, I had the equivalent of seven left feet in singing. He was keen and insisted, so I said I will try.

Jackky, what do you do more - the gym or dancing?
When I dance, it doesn't feel like gym, but it's still good to keep fit. Dance is my first love and my first teacher was Hrithik. I was in Class IX when Kaho Naa.. Pyaar Hai released. I'd rewind and play his songs to learn his moves. Then I went to my friends and told them I had learnt the snake wave of Hrithik. Since I was fat, they said it didn't look like the snake wave. Maybe it was more of a ripple then.

Jackky, you recently went to Karachi Sweets. Do you often do that on your cheat days?
I'm very strict with my diet because I'm very paranoid in my head. I didn't have the best childhood, in a sense that I had no school friends. I was the butt of jokes because of my weight. After a point in time, it's not funny. There are fun fat guys and boring fat guys. Because of my asthma, I was a boring fat guy. I never want to go back to that stage ever again. In my head, I'm still fat. After that sweet indulgence, I was working it out in the gym for two hours.

Jackky, what's next after Welcome 2 Karachi?
I was just thinking about it. Of all the films I've done, anything I did unplanned like F.A.L.T.U and Youngistaan, worked for me. I didn't want to do a movie with Puja Films for some time, so I can give credit, whether good or bad, to myself. That was also my plan after Youngistaan, but Welcome 2 Karachi happened. So I'm seen purely as an actor.

Jackky, so did you approach other productions to work with them?
Yes, I have approached and auditioned in every possible place. The only difference is that I have struggled in a car and not an autorickshaw. I have come to terms with the truth...if I do a good film like Youngistaan I also have to generate an X amount of box-office numbers to get more work. It's not like other actors that if I perform very well, I will get work on that basis. This I have come to terms with. And it hasn't been easy. The perception outside is that if we give you a role, what is in it for us. People know where I am coming from.

Jackky, what are the pros and cons of working with your father?
Pros, you have a say on the creative, which is great. Cons, there's no pack-up and not just work-wise. If I have to take two days off to Goa and there is work in the office, I can't say my cousin is unwell and I have to go. The responsibility is more, people expect much more and performance is not looked separately from box-office, it's connected. The cons are more. Getting the first film is easier, but after that the journey is way tougher. That's also why many don't want to be launched by their family banner... for good or for bad, you want to be judged for your good or bad.

Jackky, given that Irrfan Khan left the film at the last minute, what's your equation with him today?
I recently met him, went up to him and said, 'How are you? Thank you so much. The response to promos is good. You left the film, so I got it.' He laughed. I told him I love him and would love to work with him. I have no personal grudges and whatever happened with him and the production house was a separate thing.

Lauren, who do you think are the best dancers in Bollywood?
Last night, I happened to see this song featuring Madhuri Dixit and Prabhu Dheva. I want to be like both of them. One is an actor and choreographer and one, an actor and dancer. My favourite dancers in Bollywood are Madhuri Dixit, Prabhu Dheva and Hrithik Roshan

Lauren, you choreographed Tom Cruise and taught him dance. Which actor would you like to teach in Bollywood?
Anyone who I teach I would like to do something different with them that they have not done before. Also, they need to give me time. I would love to teach Hrithik Roshan.