One would imagine that her brother Kussh S Sinha is a big reason for Sonakshi Sinha leading his maiden directorial venture, Nikita Roy. But when we sit down with the actor, she busts that myth, stating that the film’s twists and turns drew her to it. Being directed by her brother was a bonus.

“I went on set thinking we might have our sibling squabbles,” she laughs, before saying, “But it was professional. On set, I was the actor, and he was the director.”

Nikita Roy, also starring Paresh Rawal, Arjun Rampal, and Suhail Nayyar, sees Sonakshi as an author whose disbelief in the supernatural is challenged by certain events. The thriller was initially scheduled for a June 27 release, but the makers postponed it to avert a clash with the Kajol-starrer Maa. A decision that the actor stands by.

“This was the producers’ call because, at the end of the day, it’s their money invested. When things are cluttered, there is no point in coming and not getting the shows we expected. It was a wise business decision.”

Do leading ladies have a say in these calls? “It depends from film to film. I can’t speak for others, but I don’t like to get into that space. My work is to be on set, do my job in front of the camera, and go home.”

In the past few years, there has been a distinct shift in Sonakshi’s choice of projects — from headlining masala fare like Dabangg (2010) and R…Rajkumar (2013), she has moved to author-backed roles in Dahaad (2023) and Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar (2024). As she looks forward to the second season of Dahaad and Heeramandi, she is clear what she seeks from her projects.

“I want anything that is different from what I’ve done before and that challenges me. Those are my checkboxes. You pick and choose from what comes your way. But after doing good work, you’re in a position to say, ‘I deserve better than this’. In the past 15 years, I’ve grown up in front of the camera. It’s been a wholesome journey — the good, the bad, the ugly. The good thing is, Bollywood doesn’t have the power to devastate me because I see my work as a part of life. My whole life doesn’t revolve around it. There’s a lot to life outside of work. So, nothing has the power to devastate me in that way.”

For his directorial debut, Kussh S Sinha has crafted a supernatural thriller, Nikita Roy. At the centre of this mystery layered with the occult is actor and Kussh’s sister Sonakshi Sinha, who plays the titular role. Tell the first-time director that very few supernatural thrillers are centred on women, and he says that a lot of effort went into building Nikita’s character.

“Nikita is part of a group of people who want to investigate charlatans. [We set out] by understanding her psychology. What motivates her? Why does she want to be an author? Why does she want to make people realize that they shouldn’t believe in the supernatural? All these layers were kept in mind while designing the character,” he shares.

If he had a complex character on paper, Sonakshi breathed life into it. Having watched his sister on screen over the past 15 years, Kussh knew that playing an investigator adamant on finding the truth would come easily to her. “It was easier to direct Sonakshi because I have studied her as an actor. In fact, at times, my biggest grouse as a viewer was that other filmmakers were not using her talent to the fullest. She is an extremely talented actor with immense emotional range.”

How did the sibling dynamics translate on the set? “On set, she is an actor who has been doing her work for a number of years. So, I treated her as I’d treat any experienced actor — with respect, and I’d take into account what was required from them and what they required from me.”

Directing an eclectic cast that included Arjun Rampal, Paresh Rawal, and Suhail Nayyar was a pleasure for the debutant director. Kussh reflects, “I got lucky that they are all accomplished actors. That helped with bringing the characters to life.”

Carrying the Sinha legacy ahead comes with emotional pressure. But the filmmaker asserts that Nikita Roy is a reclamation of his voice, on his own terms.

He states, “I respect what my father [Shatrughan Sinha] has achieved. But there was no emotional pressure on Sonakshi and I as we did Nikita Roy together. My father has been an actor and a politician for decades. My sister has been an actor. This is me walking my own path. At the end of the day, you have to work as hard as everybody else, if not harder.”