Taapsee continued her rigorous training even when we paused the shoot: Rashmi Rocket director Akarsh Khurana

Sporting crazy curls, tattoos on her clavicle and an athletic physique, Bollywood actress Taapsee Pannu set social media abuzz after revealing her look from her upcoming movie Rashmi Rocket last year. Lately, we found out that the actress will be sporting three get-ups in the sports drama.

OTTplay caught up with the film's director Akarsh Khurana, who had previously helmed Karwaan, to know more about the film and Taapsee's work in it.  

How was it shooting during the pandemic?

The shoot was difficult. We began in the first quarter of 2020, but had to reschedule it soon. In October last year, I tested positive for COVID-19 and so we had to delay the shoot by a few more weeks. After that, we restarted in November and finished shooting by the end of January this year.

It was tougher for Taapsee as she had to maintain her weight, body appearance and follow her strict diet throughout the year. She also continued her rigorous training even when we were not shooting during the pandemic. Hats off to her!

Tell us about her three different looks in the film.

I can’t reveal much about all the looks because those are the most intriguing parts of the film. But as Rashmi is an athlete from Bhuj, her most significant appearance is when she becomes a national-level athlete. That look is already out. 

When can we expect the film to release, and will it be an OTT or a theatrical release?

Honestly, I have no idea. Right now, I’m busy with its editing. There is so much uncertainty right now, so I’m not quite sure about the when and where.

It’s an extremely difficult time for the industry, but we are doing our best to deliver the best content we can. Let’s just hope for the best.

How was your experience directing Irrfan in Karwaan?

It was a privilege to get an opportunity to direct Irrfan sir. Only a few were fortunate to work with a talented actor like him and I consider it a blessing. Karwaan was an absolutely beautiful experience; it was more picnic than work for the cast and crew. Every film has its own challenges but Karwaan was absolute fun, also because the locations were in the hill stations of South India. We have very fond memories with Irrfan sir as well as Dulquer (Salmaan) and Mithila (Palkar).

You are also directing a new show U-special for Lionsgate. Could you tell us about that?

Yes, Lionsgate is now getting into Indian fiction. I’m working with lead writer Divya Rao for the show. It’s a very interesting phase for me when I am approached for a lot of young-adult content like Mismatched that is set mostly in colleges and universities. 

U-special falls into that content category, but unlike Mismatched, it has a more serious tone to it, with topics like Delhi University elections and corruption in education. It's a different take on youth than my earlier works. It’s wonderful to work with the whole cast and crew.