In the month since Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari became the first Bollywood movie to pursue a theatrical run post the pandemic, Hindi films have shied away from the big screen, instead seeking the safety of a direct-to-web release. At such a time, two women have come forward to place their bet on cinemas - Neena Gupta's The Last Color and Kiara Advani's Indoo Ki Jawani hit the screens yesterday.

"I have no idea what Indoo Ki Jawani is about. But why can't we have women-centric films in such times? Going by the title, I assume Indoo Ki Jawani is totally different from our film. So, the audience will have a variety to choose from. I had never thought that my film would release in the middle of the pandemic. It's a brave decision taken by the producers," says the actor, who leads the Vikas Khanna-directed movie.

Adapted from the master chef's book of the same name, The Last Color explores how a nine-year-old tightrope walker befriends Gupta's Noor, a widow, thus bringing hope and colour to her life. The movie - a window into the age-old taboos surrounding widows in Varanasi and Vrindavan - has won acclaim at several international film festivals, including the Palm Springs International Film Festival. "Our movie doesn't have a hero per se, nor does it have songs. It won't be a blockbuster, but the story is close to my heart."

Gupta, who had a good run this year with Panga, Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, Panchayat and Masaba Masaba, is looking ahead to a busy 2021. "It's strange that these roles didn't come my way when I was younger. So, women belonging to my age group can look forward to a lot of work." She has wrapped up the shoot of Sardar & Grandson, and Dial 100. "I will head to London for the Goldfish shoot. The second seasons of Panchayat and Masaba Masaba are lined up."

On Sunday, people across the world celebrated World Vegan Day, among them was Rakul Preet Singh, who turned vegan exactly a year ago. It started as a month-long trial run, but the actress quickly fell in love with the animal-friendly lifestyle. “I had been a non-vegetarian all my life, but I read somewhere that the vibes of animals being slaughtered can disturb your own vibes. Being into yoga and meditation, one becomes sensitive to such things and even on the days when I was having a non-vegetarian meal, something didn’t feel right,” she shares, adding that she could see the changes in herself after just one month. “I felt happier and lighter. My skin was glowing, and the best part was that I was still eating my staple dal, roti, and rice. My initial fear that vegan food would be high on carbs and affect my weight proved to be just a misconception as I lost weight instead and could still eat more than before by giving up meat. Veganism has been unnecessarily complicated as it’s just eating what we have grown up with.”

On the work front, Rakul has wrapped up a schedule of Sardar & Grandson on Friday. She describes it “as a sweet film with its emotions in the right place” and lauds debutante Kaashvie Nair as a talented and progressive director in her idea of cinema. She’s also all praise for co-star Arjun Kapoor who’s “hilarious on the sets, cracking everyone up, and bursting with energy”. In fact, she goes on to say that his character in the film is very similar to the real Arjun which is why she’d often ask him if he was in character or just being himself.

Her co-star was laid low with Covid recently, as a result of which the schedule was delayed. But Rakul doesn’t see any change in him. “He’s still optimistic, but he made us realise that the virus is not to be taken lightly and certain norms need to be followed in the best way possible.”

Their film is the story of two young lovers separated by the Partition. Arjun’s character takes it upon himself to reunite his grandmother with the man she had once loved. The story struck a chord with Rakul because her grandparents, both paternal and maternal, were from that part of India which is now in Pakistan. “They have passed away, but I have heard enough stories growing up to understand the pain they went through after their lives were uprooted,” she sighs. The actress brightens up at the mention of Neena Gupta who plays the grandma. “She is so much fun, and what a performer!” she exclaims.

The actress now returns to Hyderabad to resume work on the last schedule of her Telugu film, the Krish directorial, but will return to the city in November for the next schedule of Sardar & Grandson. “My other Telugu film with Nitin will also start soon, and my Tamil film kicks off later in the month. In between, I’m trying to squeeze in a brief vacation to bring in my parents’ anniversary. I’m planning to go somewhere with them, let’s see how it goes,” she muses.

The past few months amidst the pandemic have been very challenging for Rakul who insists that her work helped her maintain her mental strength. “Your sanity comes from within and the people you surround yourself with, which includes your family that always stands by you. Also, it’s my work that keeps me sane; I have my blinders on and focus on what needs to be done. Those who know me will tell you that I am a positive person thanks to my yoga and meditation,” she asserts.

Recently, as part of a challenge for fellow actors Rajkummar Rao and Nushrratt Bharuccha, Rakul made a rap video on their song “Care Ni Karda” which has reached over a million views on Instagram. Now, she is open to accepting such offers if they come her way. “It was a fluke, but I love that it worked. I just hope the producers hear it and give me some work,” she concludes with a laugh.

On September 6, a few days before Arjun Kapoor was supposed to resume shooting for his cross-border love story, reportedly titled Sardar & Grandson with Rakul Preet Singh, the actor announced that he had tested positive for Covid-19. Fortunately, no one else from the team was infected. Still, the weeklong schedule, for which Rakul had flown into the city from Hyderabad, had to be cancelled.

A month later, Arjun announced that he had tested negative, and, on October 12, returned to his “happy place”, sharing pictures from the set with co-actor Kanwaljit Singh. He will reunite with Rakul in the next schedule which kicks off from October 24. The actress is currently in Hyderabad for a Telugu film, but she will be back in Mumbai a day earlier.

While talking to Mirror earlier (September 12), Rakul had shared that she had already boarded the flight and the plane was taxiing on the runway when she got the call about Arjun. “Had I known even half an hour earlier, I wouldn’t have taken off,” she had pointed out. She reached Mumbai on September 6, and flew back to Hyderabad three days later. The shoot of the Krish directorial was advanced by a week.

Kashvie Nair’s love story starts in 1947 during the Partition and continues till 2020, spanning three generations. It was one of the first big films to get back into action after the coronavirus-triggered pandemic brought all shoots to a standstill for four months. It resumed with a 10-day schedule in Mumbai’s Film City Studios from August 24. Arjun was joined by Kanwaljit, and Neena Gupta, who plays his grandmother, along with John Abraham and Aditi Rao Hydari as cameos. While Aditi plays Neena’s younger self from 1947, John plays the Sardar to Arjun’s grandson. Rakul joined them for a day towards August-end, just before the schedule wrapped up.