Zareen Khan's body of work is different from mine and that helped our dynamics: Anshuman Jha

Anshuman Jha and Zareen Khan play the leads in Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele, which is available for streaming on Disney+ Hotstar from May 9.

Actor Anshuman Jha is equal parts nervous and excited about his upcoming film Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele which is essentially about two homosexual friends taking a road trip. Anshuman and Zareen Khan play the leads in this film, which is available for streaming on Disney+ Hotstar from May 9.

The movie tells the story of love and friendship between the lead characters and also has Gurfateh Singh Pirzada and newcomer Jahnvi Rawat in supporting roles.

Anshuman, who was last seen in MX Player's Mastram, tells OTTplay about shooting for the film. Excerpts from the interview:

How was it shooting a road movie?

We had a small team of just 35 people. We started from Delhi and travelled to the picturesque locales of McLeod Ganj via Meerut, Chandigarh, Palampur and Dharamshala. So, we were constantly travelling and the fact that we were in a car most of the time made for a different experience.

Thankfully, we could wind up the shoot in October 2019 and did not have to go through the challenges during the pandemic.

Why was the release delayed then?

We were planning for a June 2020 theatrical release. But then the pandemic happened and the CBFC couldn't view it. We finally got it cleared last December.

In 2020, however, we received a lot of appreciation at film festivals such as KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival, Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, Australia, and Rajasthan Film Festival.

How was it working with Zareen Khan for the first time?

It was interesting and wonderful. As Zareen's body of work has been different from mine, it made for a good mix that helped develop our dynamics and chemistry.

Both of you are friends in the film. You playing a gay character, who plays your love interest?

A very talented actor named Gurfateh Singh Pirzada, who had starred in Netflix's Guilty. We met at an actors’ workshop called Adishakti in Pondicherry. Meanwhile, Zareen’s love interest is a wonderful, young debutante, Jahnvi Rawat from Delhi.

What are your other upcoming projects?

Currently, I want all the attention to be on Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele. It has been nearly two years since its production began. There are also two other web series coming up.

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