Acclaimed writer Varun Grover’s social media pages serve as abridged collections of his diverse interests, ranging from stand-up comedy to documentaries about pertinent social issues, and his take on filmmaking. Considering the plethora of content he has contributed to, Grover, one would assume, wouldn’t be easily swayed when a new offer comes his way. But Alia Bhatt’s Jigra was different. It brought him back to the studio with director Vasan Bala, with whom Grover has forged a strong bond. It began “many many years ago”, with the film, Peddlers. The 2012 offering made it to the Cannes film festival but did not hit screens in India. Subsequently, they joined hands again for Monica, O My Darling (2022), which also included music by Achint Thakkar. “That was a very good experience for all three of us. We forged a good bond, [and had similar] musical tastes and world-views. So, when Vasan offered this film to me after that experience, I was very excited.”

Jigra stars Alia Bhatt and Vedang Raina as siblings