Abhilash Thapliyal: Bhumi Pednekar made me mimic Akshay Kumar during the ‘Raksha Bandhan’ shoot – Exclusive – Times of India
How did you come on board for ‘Raksha Bandhan’?
The writer of the film, Himanshu Sharma had called me for this film. When you have Himanshu and Aanand L Rai coming together, you just can’t have second thoughts. He told me about my character and I was on board. Even the smallest of characters have a big impact in Himanshu and Aanand’s films. That’s how I bagged the project.
What kind of reactions have you been getting after the release of the trailer?
It is just a glimpse of me in the trailer but people are taking screenshots and sharing it on social media. I got a lot of positive responses on social media. Even on my family WhatsApp groups, my relatives have been sending me screenshots. Everyone is asking me the same question, ‘Ye Bhumi Pednekar and Akshay Kumar ke saath tu hi hai na?’ It is interesting to see all these reactions.
Akshay Kumar is a known prankster. How was your experience working with the ‘Khiladi’ star?
Most of my scenes are with Bhumi but Akshay sir is obviously on the screen. My interaction primarily is with Bhumi. He is amazing. He made us all feel very comfortable. He is this fun guy who is always cracking jokes on the set.
There was one incident when I mimicked him in front of him. Bhumi had insisted that I do. I was very skeptical initially but he took it well so it was fun. He is a very positive guy with a lot of energy and warmth.
How is Bhumi Pednekar as a co-star?
I had done a few sketches with Bhumi before and she had come on a show which I was hosting so we have interacted before. However, as a co-star, this was my first experience. She is absolutely amazing. There is this scene where Bhumi and I are sitting in a rickshaw and Aanand sir told me to look comfortable. I was randomly cracking jokes. She was just laughing and requesting me to stop. She was like, ‘Abhilash bas kar. Abhi serious hona hai bas kar’. She is a very talented and secure co-actor to work with.
How was the experience of working with Aanand L Rai?
The world knows that Aanand L Rai is an amazing filmmaker. The way he plays with the emotions of his characters on screen is amazing. As a human being, he is a teddy bear. He makes you feel very comfortable. You can share, discuss and improvise things with him on the set because he gives you that freedom. He is an amazing director to work with.
If the trailer is anything to go by, it looks like you guys must have had a blast while shooting. What was it like on the sets of the film?
My character is an impactful one I don’t have a lot of screen time. But whatever shooting experience I had with Aanand sir, Bhumi and Akshay sir, it was amazing. I was more interested in knowing about Aanand sir so every time they would prepare for a shot, I would sit there and talk to him. It was amazing to see his human side as a filmmaker. I am a radio jockey and I am also a media person so I naturally have an interest in stories that excite me.
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