As Fukrey 3 rolls out, the cast, including Varun Sharma, Pulkit Samrat, Richa Chadha and Manjot Singh, is going through mixed emotions — excitement and anxiety

Gurnaaz Kaur

The Fukrey franchise has been a hit among audiences and now, fans get to see their beloved characters — Choocha (Varun Sharma), Hunny (Pulkit Samrat), Bholi Punjaban (Richa Chadha), Lali (Manjot Singh) — reunite in Fukrey 3. Excited for their movie, the Fukrey gang gets candid about their journey of playing these quirky characters.

Talking about the chemistry they share in Fukrey, the four actors say, “It cannot be forced or rehearsed.” Adding to the thought, Richa Chadha says, “Because we were so raw and so new when we started out. We did not just grow up together, but also grew together in our careers. We’ve seen each other through ups and downs, and that really strengthens the bond.”

Character calling

Playing Bholi Punjaban, a character that oozes confidence, Richa says, “If you look at the history of cinema, there are archetypes that are followed, but I don’t know which archetype this character will fall under. She is not just all rage, she is also very manipulative, she has a wicked sense of humour…I find it really amazing to play Bholi Punjaban. She has zero sophistication, her style is her own, she doesn’t care what people think about her. She is just who she is and that’s very attractive about the character.”

As the movie reaches the big screen, Pulkit Samrat and the gang have coined a new term — ‘anxieted’. Explaining it, he says, “We are experiencing mixed feelings, full of excitement and anxiety right now. Anxiety because we want people to like the film and excitement since we know we have made a very interesting film and maintained the soul of Fukrey.”

Pulkit has been lauded for his dance moves in the title song Ve Fukrey by Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, who wrote on Instagram that ‘Pulkit’s success is long overdue’. Expressing his gratitude, the actor says, “Salman Khan has seen my journey, he knows I’ve got very few chances to dance whereas I’ve been trained in many dance forms, including Kathak and Jazz. To be appreciated and noticed by Salman bhai means the world to me.”

Varun Sharma, who debuted in Bollywood with Fukrey, calls it his life. “My aspiration of becoming an actor, all that I wanted to do, happened because of this film. Fukrey is my foundation. Whatever I have today and all the work that I am doing is because everyone got a chance to see my work as Choocha in the film.”

Manjot Singh, who was recently seen in Dream Girl 2, expresses what it’s like to be a turban-clad actor in the industry. “From when I did my first film till now, there have been multiple occasions where I’ve rejected roles because I’ve been asked to give up on my turban. I joined this industry with the clarity that I will never compromise on my identity.”

Coming back to his character in the film, Lali, Manjot says, “Many people can relate to my character or would identify someone in their family as Lali. That’s what makes it so special for me.”

When love came along

While Fukrey changed the lives of these actors in many ways, it played Cupid for Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal. “In the initial days of shooting, all that these guys would talk about was food and video games, and I would wonder what to talk with them. Yes, we all became friends later and would dance to Honey Singh songs, but until that happened I had only Ali to converse with. There were conversations about books and theatre that connected us and here we are today,” Richa says.

Grateful for the bonds these actors have forged on Fukrey sets, all they now hope is that their fans and audience at large enjoy their fukrapanti in the much-loved comedy franchise.

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#Richa Chadha