To new beginnings

Sharad Kelkar; (right) Kirti Kulhari

The year began on a positive note for Kirti Kulhari who turned producer with Nayeka. As she took the film on floors recently, the actor-producer welcomed Sharad Kelkar on board. The actor, who was recently seen in The Family Man 2, is taken by the dark comedy written by director Ajaykiran Nair. "I loved Ajaykiran's writing, which made me say yes to the project. Being Kirti's debut production, the film is all the more special," he says.

Nayeka sees Kulhari essay the role of a struggling female actor, who accidentally gets caught in a crime. Kelkar, who plays the leading man, describes his character as "a badass with a great sense of humour." "Kirti is wonderful with her craft, and gets into the details of her character. Usually, it takes [actors] the first few days to adjust to each other, but we hit it off from the word go." For his role, the actor has grown a moustache. "I can't play my part honestly if I am not dedicated to my role. It's not just what's on paper that makes the character; the look, costumes, and physical traits also [shape] a character. So, I grew a moustache rather than using a fake one."