The power of two

Taapsee Pannu

Since the smashing success of Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story last year, all eyes have been on Pratik Gandhi, with the audience eager to see him make a splash in Bollywood. Only a month after he announced that he was part of Atithi Bhooto Bhava, the actor has bagged a biggie - he is set to share screen space with Taapsee Pannu in Siddharth Roy Kapur's production, Woh Ladki Hai Kahaan?

The investigative comedy, directed by Arshad Syed and set in central India, sees Pannu play a feisty cop while Gandhi essays the role of a chauvinistic brat. When the two are compelled to take an unlikely journey together, their opposite personalities clash, leading to a hilarious battle of wits.

Having a knack for picking characters that have a unique voice, Pannu says the Roy Kapur Films' venture gives her an opportunity to bring another strong-headed woman to life. "I loved the strong and thoroughly entertaining character that Arshad had written for me. It is exciting to partner with a producer as prolific as Sid, as well as Pratik, whose performance in Scam 1992 left a lasting impression on me." Gandhi, who is taking baby steps into Hindi cinema, knows only too well that the next few films will be his litmus test. "I was looking to dive into something totally different after Scam 1992, and this role ticked all the boxes," says the actor.

Siddharth Roy Kapur

The movie marks the directorial debut of Syed, who has previously written Adaalat, Student of the Year 2 (2019) and Breathe: Into the Shadows (2020). The director is currently zeroing in on the rest of the cast before he takes the project on floors by the year-end. The producer adds that he greenlit the film during Syed's first narration itself. "When Arshad narrated his charming screenplay to us, we instantly knew we had to produce the film. We are excited to work with Taapsee, who brings so much energy to the screen, and Pratik, who blew us away with his performance in Scam 1992."