Trading comedy for complexities

Aparshakti Khurana

Delightful as he is in the comic roles in Stree (2018), Luka Chuppi (2019) or Hum Do Hamare Do (2021), Aparshakti Khurana felt the need for a change of pace. Which is why when director Kookie Gulati's Dhokha Round D Corner came his way, the actor lapped it up. The suspense thriller, also starring R Madhavan, Darshan Kumar and Khushalii Kumar, sees how a couple's life changes in a day when a terrorist breaks into their home. "With Dhokha, I am attempting a different genre for the first time. I was trying to do something apart from comedy for a while, but only Kookie and Bhushan Kumar [producer] showed confidence in me," says Khurana, who essays the role of a Kashmiri terrorist.

While the film has its share of twists and turns, the actor says it is a psychological thriller at its core, studying the dark side of human relationships. "It [offers] a different take on human relationships and its [complexities]. The theme and treatment is slightly grungy and grey." Playing a character so far removed from his comfort zone meant that he had to prep thoroughly before reporting to the set. He says, "I hired a coach and worked extensively on learning the Kashmiri language. I also had to drop a few kilos to achieve a lean look, and cut my hair short for the character."

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