Adil Hussain opens our morning conversation about Ulajh with the disclaimer that he is contractually bound from talking about the story. “Every twist matters,” he reasons. Sudhanshu Saria’s directorial venture drew the actor because of the complex relationships it depicted within the setting of a spy thriller. “It is about the bravery of a young woman, who wants to defend her country’s honour. I liked that the film isn’t jingoistic. Sudhanshu and I were to work before, but that didn’t happen. When he came with this, I said yes,” recounts Hussain. 

The upcoming release is fronted by Janhvi Kapoor, who is joined by Gulshan Devaiah, Roshan Mathew and Rajesh Tailang. Hussain says he was pleasantly surprised by the leading lady, even noticing in her certain traits of her late superstar-mother Sridevi. “She inherently possesses some steadfast qualities of an artiste. A film set is daunting. Janhvi has sharp concentration. I had seen that in Sridevi when I worked with her [in English Vinglish, 2012], and I saw glimpses of that very spirit in Janhvi. She has the willingness to be in the moment, deliver what’s needed by the director, and is mindful of the film’s best interest.”