Actress Aishwarya Raj Bhakuni is extremely excited to make her Bollywood debut with Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi’s magnum opus Prithviraj, which features Akshay Kumar and Manushi Chhillar in lead roles. She plays Sanyogita’s (Manushi) sister Ragini, and revealed it required a lot of prep work.
She said, “It is a very interesting character. Ragini is there as a strong support to Sanyogita throughout the film. I have really loved playing the character. Bagging the role was a normal process of audition. I got a call from Yash Raj casting team and there was a brief interview session at the end of which I got the role. The prep work for the role was long and interesting. We did different look tests to know what kind of attire and hairstyle will go with the character in different parts of the film. Then we did a lot of dance rehearsals besides reading the script again and again. We also did a workshop where our director Dr. Saheb personally sat with us and described the exact mood he wanted. We all used to rehearse together.”
The young actress also revealed that it’s not just her, but even her parents are a big fan of Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi’s work. Calling him a big scholar, she said, “He is one of the biggest names in the industry as he gave us the intriguing, historical show called Chanakya and unforgettable films like Pinjar. He is a wise and intelligent director. He has researched, planned, and executed in a great way. I really respect him for his dedication.”
She adds, “After the audition when I went to meet him and his team, they would explain everything to us. I asked him that if I came to Mumbai to become an actress, do you think taking up this character would affect my future? He said ‘I have been here for so many years and I have seen that people just need that one break or that one look on the big screen where people can see you. You never know where and when you can click. There have been a lot of examples from our industry that people who have done smaller roles have become very big names and stars. You just have to grab the opportunity.’ The second thing I asked him was how to execute the role? He said acting is when you don’t act, just be natural. I will always remember this. I have considered Dr. Saheb as my mentor as he has helped me a lot to improve during the shoot. His wife Mandira Ma’am also used to guide me and when I used to follow them, I used to give my best. He has not only helped me with acting but also gave me life lessons by sharing his experiences.”
Sharing her experience of working with the ensemble cast, Aishwarya said, “It was amazing to work with Akshay Kumar. He was always jovial and having fun with all the actors. Sonu Sood was amazing. I really loved talking to him when we were not on set and Ashutosh Rana sir used to create a lot of fun moments on set. Everyone was amazing. Manushi is very sweet and down to earth and so is her family. She is very hardworking and I believe she will definitely do great in the future. She is bright and going to shine.”
The actress called it a dream to have started her Bollywood journey with a big banner like Yash Raj Films, the young actress also shared that each and every moment on the set was magical, and added, “Just being on the set with so many talented people makes you humble.”
Aishwarya, who will soon start work on her fifth film in the Southern industry, believes that Prithviraj will be a massive hit. She said, “People are just running towards movie halls as they have been deprived of them for two years. In the last few months, films have reached 500 crore clubs with massive huge hits. I am definitely sure that even this film will become a huge success.”
