The actors spilled each other’s secrets during a show recently
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 9, 2019)

In an almost unheard-of new friendship in B-Town, actors Rajkummar Rao and Ishaan Khatter made an appearance together on Neha Dhupia’s Colors Infinity chat show as BFFs and had a lot to say about each other.

Ishaan started off by quelling reports that he is dating his Dhadak co-star Janhvi Kapoor by saying, “I am in a relationship with coffee,” going on to reveal that he likes “girls who are honest, funny, real, relaxed, chilled out and passionate. I guess, I would like anyone to be that way. I look for the same qualities in a friend as well.” When prodded by Neha on the matter, Raj said with a chuckle, “Ishaan is a sensible boy. He can find his own perfect girl. He will, or maybe he already has.”

Incidentally, Raj is gearing up to work with Janhvi in Dinesh Vijan’s upcoming horror comedy, Rooh-Afza, which is expected to kick off in June in Uttar Pradesh. Ishaan had an important tip for Raj before he starts work with the actress. “He needs to be wary because she is obsessed with him. She is a keen learner. I think he must’ve already observed that about her and she genuinely is very fond of his work, as am I. Both of us once sat down and watched his scenes closely,” Ishaan said, finally throwing in the towel. “What tip can I give Raj, really? He’s been around and worked with different actors. He would know best. Perhaps he can give me some tips!”

Meanwhile, Raj spoke of the only time he “felt jealous” of the younger actor. It was when he got to work with the acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi in his first film, Beyond The Clouds. 

The duo will feature in Dinesh Vijan’s horror-comedy that kicks off in June and will open on March 20 next year
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 29, 2019)

Eight months after her debut film Dhadak opened in the theatres on July 20, 2018, Janhvi Kapoor who has been busy with the shoot of her next, Kargil Girl, the biopic of Gunjan Saxena, one of India’s first combat aviators to be posted in Kargil during the 1999 war, has just inked a new deal. The 22-year-old actress will join Rajkummar Rao and Varun ‘Choocha’ Sharma in the horror comedy Rooh-Afza which kicks off in June in Uttar Pradesh. It will release on March 20, 2020.

Confirming the casting, producer Dinesh Vijan pointed out that with Stree last year, his company had successfully ventured into the exciting world of horror-comedy with the intention of building on the genre and taking it forward. “Rajkummar and Varun are actors who excel in comedy and own the space. For the leading lady we were looking for someone who had not experimented with the genre before and Janhvi fit the bill perfectly. The script is young and wonderfully crazy and though we haven’t seen Janhvi in this avatar yet, that’s how she is in real life. I’m pretty sure she will pull off the contrasting personalities with effortless ease,” he exulted from London.

According to a source, the actress has a double role in the film. “She plays Roohi and Afza who are the polar opposites of each other. While one is chirpy, the other is subdued, both equally sweet. Janhvi will bring back memories of her mother Sridevi’s twin turns, Anju and Manju, in the ’89 slapstick comedy ChaalBaaz,” informed the source.

Mirror had earlier reported (February 27) that the story is set in Moradabad and inspired by a folk legend revolving around weddings, first nights and spirits. Raj and Varun play two small-town idiots caught in situations that are spine chilling but will simultaneously spark off plenty of laughs like Stree.

It will be directed by Hardik Mehta who was the script-supervisor on films like Lootera and Queen and co-writer on Trapped. His 2015 Gujarati documentary, Amdavad Ma Famous, won the Swarna Kamal at the 63rd National Award in the non-feature film section while his debut feature film, Kamyaab premiered in Busan last year.

Mrighdeep Lamba who is producing the film with Dinesh explained their choice of Hardik, saying, “Only a director who understands the whacky world of films, can make the crazy characters pop up on screen… Make them real, despite them being in the most absurd situations. We saw that ability in Hardik. Plus, his repertoire is impressive.”

Dinesh Vijan and Mrighdeep Lamba’s horror-comedy revolves around a singing ghost who puts grooms to sleep so it can possess their brides
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 27, 2019)

On December 17, 2018, Mirror had reported that after their successful horror-comedy Stree, Dinesh Vijan and Rajkummar Rao would be reuniting for another film in the same genre. The producer had confirmed the news just before he left for his honeymoon in December 2018, revealing that Raj would be playing a self-proclaimed hero who is a bit of a fool in the new film. He had also promised that the character would be as riveting as Vicky, Stree’s ladies’ tailor.

While Aparshakti Khurana and Abhishek Banerjee had played the actor’s buddies in the earlier film, Raj will have Varun Sharma, Fukrey’s much-loved Choocha, for company this time around. The two small-town idiots are caught in situations that are as spine-chilling as they are laughter-inducing.

Now, Mirror has learnt that the film in question has found itself a quirky title, Rooh-Afza, which is a pointer to the supernatural encounters that unravel in the story. It is jointly produced by Dinesh and Mrighdeep Singh Lamba, the director of the Fukrey franchise, and is scheduled to roll in May this year. The director and the female lead will be finalised soon.

Stree revolved around a folk legend of a female spirit who is believed to haunt the town of Chanderi during an annual fourday festival, spiriting away young men wandering alone at night, leaving behind only a trail of their clothes. To ward off the ghost and to protect the residents from her evil eye, the phrase, “O Stree kal aana” is painted in red on the walls of every home during the festive season and the men strongly advised not to step out of their houses after 10 pm.

The new horror-comedy is set in Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh and revolves around another folk legend. In Rooh-Afza, every time a wedding happens in the town, the women scramble to keep the groom awake through his first night. “At the same time, the chudail is trying to put him to sleep with a lullaby. It is believed that if a groom dozes off, she proceeds to possess his bride in a bid to make his marital life hell. The film is a laugh riot all the way while at the same time, talk of the legend and the spirit will have you looking around yourself, wondering if she is anywhere closeby,” informs Dinesh, adding, “Even though it is named after the refreshing summer drink, Rooh Afza, there is nothing sweet about it.”