logo
Son of Sardaar 2: Here's what went behind creating her character Rabia in Ajay Devgn's comedy amid praises for her performance

Son of Sardaar 2: Here's what went behind creating her character Rabia in Ajay Devgn's comedy amid praises for her performance

First Posta day ago
From learning dhol for nearly three months to learning Punjabi accent, her hard work in pre-shoot workshops shone in a performance that is both raw and refined read more
Mrunal Thakur is basking in the positive responses pouring in for her latest release, Son of Sardaar 2. Marking her first full-blown commercial entertainer, Mrunal stepped into the shoes of a fiery Punjabi girl, Rabia. From her unmissable screen presence, delivering punchlines and dialogues that land, and tapping into the details of Punjabi aesthetics, Mrunal delivered a knockout performance, and she's receiving due praise and appreciation for the same.
Previously, the actress has explored the space of emotionally-charged characters in films like Sita Ramam, Jersey and High Nanna among others, and Son of Sardaar 2 marked her detour from the emotional spaces. She brought life to the screens with a lively Punjabi energy, all while maintaining her command as Rabia. Be it confrontation scenes or comedy bits, Mrunal showcased her growth as a dynamic actress and left viewers hooked to the screens.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
From learning dhol for nearly three months to learning Punjabi accent, her hard work in pre-shoot workshops shone in a performance that is both raw and refined. Through Son of Sardaar 2, Mrunal proved that she not only pulled off the dialect and energy but also added a layer of freshness and mass appeal that fans can't get enough of. Seeing Mrunal in comedy space feels refreshing, and it surely highlights her ability to display her versatility to the fullest.
Additionally, her chemistry with Ajay Devgn is surely unmissable on the big screens!
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

'Saare Jahan Se Accha' review: Netflix spy series is a missed opportunity
'Saare Jahan Se Accha' review: Netflix spy series is a missed opportunity

Mint

time8 minutes ago

  • Mint

'Saare Jahan Se Accha' review: Netflix spy series is a missed opportunity

Saare Jahan Se Accha spends most of its time listing differences between India and Pakistan. But Netflix's new spy series can't help draw attention to a common heritage: language. Characters switch naturally between Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi and English, as so many did in undivided Punjab. The Punjabi in particular—spoken by Pakistani and Indian characters—is mellifluous, flowing off the tongues of the actors, not the same intonations you'd hear in a modern Hindi film. It reminded me of Song of Lahore (2015), Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy's musical documentary, with the Punjabi session players hitting the consonants in trumpeter Wynton Marsalis' name: 'Vin-ttun'. The show, created by Gaurav Shukla, opens with conspiracy theory (the CIA blowing up a plane with Indian nuclear physicist Homi Bhabha on board) and boilerplate spy drama truths (we operate in the shadows, our families don't know what we do). Both are delivered in a flat voiceover by Pratik Gandhi, who plays intelligence agent Vishnu Shankar. After the formation of RAW in 1968, its head, R.N. Kao (Rajat Kapoor), sends Vishnu on a top-secret mission: relocate to Islamabad and sabotage Pakistan's nuclear weapons programme. Vishnu's primary asset there is Sukhbir (Suhail Nayyar), alias Rafiq, an Indian posing as a Pakistani stockbroker. Rafiq, a capable but reluctant spy, helps corrupt lieutenant colonel Rizwan (Kapil Radha) with his investments, and is wooing his sister, Naseem (Diksha Juneja). Vishnu, tailed and intimidated by local agents despite ostensibly being a diplomat, carefully pulls strings too. He pushes Naushad (Anup Soni), a Pakistan army brigadier whom they've been blackmailing, and tries to win over Fatima (Kritika Kamra), an anti-bomb journalist who happens to be nuclear engineer Munir Khan's niece. Seemingly ahead at every step is Murtaza Malik (Sunny Hinduja)—'Pakistan's most capable officer', in the words of President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. From the moment he's introduced, the show has a problem. Murtaza is simply more interesting than Vishnu. Hinduja plays him with a mixture of sardonic reserve and restless intelligence. It lends a tension to every scene he's in, even when the situation doesn't warrant it—we can't tell how closely he's reading into his close friend Naushad's behaviour, and it keeps us on edge. He's as formidable a spy as Vishnu, but happier in the spotlight, wittier and more commanding. Vishnu, on the other hand, never feel right at the centre of the show. Gandhi is a deft actor who was working steadily in the theatre and Gujarati cinema before Scam 1992 thrust him into lead roles in Hindi films. In Saare Jahan Se Accha, you can feel the tension between a character actor who'd relish the challenge of making a drab agent interesting and a star who's supposed to carry the production. Vishnu is a cypher, as spies must often be, but Gandhi can't find a way to make this shadowy figure compelling. He keeps losing scenes—to the confident Hinduja, to Tilottama Shome, rather wasted here as his confused, neglected wife, and to Nayyar, whose Sukhbir turns out to be the sad heart of the series. I couldn't help but imagine a richer, more complex show built around Sukhbir: a fascinating figure, resourceful, lonely, an Indian pretending to be Pakistani, a Sikh posing as Muslim, blackmailed by his country, with genuine attachments to the people he's spying on. There are recent shows that have gone all-out with period recreation (Jubilee) and those that managed it with a few smart touches (Rocket Boys). Saare Jahan Se Acha tries the latter, but, apart from a sequence at a screening of cult horror film Zinda Laash, the research and detailing are inadequate. The clothes, the hair, the speech, the cultural markers—little of it suggests a convincing 1970s Pakistan. 'Tumhare takes kya hain?' is something you wouldn't hear today, let alone 50 years ago. Rajat Kapoor may be styled to look like Alec Guinness' Smiley, but Saare Jahan Se Acha doesn't want to be John le Carré. In its better moments, it has some of the enjoyable pulpiness of the Yash Raj spy films. One of its episodes revolves around the capture of a minor antagonist named Bilal (Rajesh Khera), an arms dealer in London with a weakness for women. The multiple subplots—the race to extract information from Bilal, the kidnapping of his son back in Pakistan, Murtaza getting increasingly suspicious—are woven together nicely by editor Aarif Shaikh and Sumit Purohit, who directs all the episodes. I also appreciate that the Indian agents, till then less cutthroat than their Pakistani counterparts, are shown using torture, not on a particularly bad person, but one they need information from quickly. This and a messy kill in the previous episode go some way to dispelling the notion of a 'right' side. There are only six episodes, each between 30-45 minutes—a fairly slim offering. Surprisingly, there's no real attempt to tease a second season. Vishnu and Kao spend all season insisting India isn't working on a nuclear bomb (it's described as a 'moral line', one that a nation like Pakistan would cross but we wouldn't). The truth is, India's nuclear weapons programme was very much in swing by then, culminating in the Pokhran-I tests. I thought the show might be saving this as the A-plot for Season Two, but was less certain once the 1974 tests were mentioned at the end of the last episode. Espionage is a saturated genre in India right now, and Saare Jahan Se Accha doesn't do enough to stand out. If it does return, I hope it's at least with a more stirring, less shaken protagonist.

Mrunal Thakur's new post amid Bipasha Basu body-shaming row: Stop staring
Mrunal Thakur's new post amid Bipasha Basu body-shaming row: Stop staring

India Today

time2 hours ago

  • India Today

Mrunal Thakur's new post amid Bipasha Basu body-shaming row: Stop staring

Actor Mrunal Thakur shared a new post on social media on Tuesday. Her post came at a time when the actor is under scrutiny for her remarks against fellow actor Bipasha Basu. In the old video that has now gone viral, Thakur stated that she is better than her Instagram post, the actor can be seen wearing an all-black outfit and sunglasses. The caption read, "Stop staring!".advertisement The controversy began when the resurfaced video from Thakur's early television days gained attention online. In the clip, she is seen referring to Bipasha Basu as "manly" and asking her co-star, "Do you want to marry a girl who is manly with muscles?"Further in the video, Thakur compares herself to Basu by stating, "I am better than Bipasha," and reiterates, "Listen, I am far better than Bipasha, okay." Many on social media criticised the 'Son of Sardaar 2' actor for body-shaming to the buzz around Thakur is her alleged romantic connection with South Indian actor the professional front, the 33-year-old actor started her career with television shows like 'Mujhse Kuchh Khamoshiyaan' and Kumkum Bhagya. She later entered the Hindi film industry with 'Love Sonia'. Some of her other Bollywood films include 'Super 30' and 'Batla House.' However, she gained popularity with her role in the Telugu film 'Sita Ramam' alongside Dulquer was recently seen in the film 'Son of Sardaar 2'. Released on August 1, the comedy film was headlined by actor Ajay Devgn. It also featured Ravi Kishan, Neeru Bajwa, Deepak Dobriyal, Kubbra Sait and Chunky Panday in pivotal roles. The film clashed with Siddhant Chaturvedi and Tripti Dimri's 'Dhadak 2' at the box office.- EndsMust Watch IN THIS STORY#Mrunal Thakur

Saiyaara Box Office Collection Day 26: Mohit Suri's Film Sees Growth, Mints Rs 321.35 Crore
Saiyaara Box Office Collection Day 26: Mohit Suri's Film Sees Growth, Mints Rs 321.35 Crore

NDTV

time3 hours ago

  • NDTV

Saiyaara Box Office Collection Day 26: Mohit Suri's Film Sees Growth, Mints Rs 321.35 Crore

New Delhi: Mohit Suri's Saiyaara is on its way to complete one month this week. The film, which shattered the box office with its string of records, has minted Rs 1.50 crore on fourth Tuesday, taking the total to Rs 321.35 crore. What's Happening Saiyaara's Tuesday collection is slightly higher than its Monday collection, courtesy discounted ticket price. The film minted Rs 1.50 crore on fourth Tuesday, as per Sacnilk. The film minted Rs 172 crore in week one. In week two, the collection went up to Rs 107.75 crore. In its third week, the collection drastically dropped with Rs 28.25 crore in collection. Saiyaara emerged as the second-highest grossing film of the year after Vicky Kaushal's Chhaava. The film also set the record of being one of the highest-grossing opening weekends of the year. Except Mahavtar Narsimha, neither Dharma Productions' Dhadak 2 nor Ajay Devgn's Son Of Sardaar 2 seem to pose any threat to Saiyaara's box office numbers. Ajay Devgn's Son Of Sardaar 2 released one week after its scheduled date to avoid the Saiyaara storm. But it couldn't stand it eventually. Dhadak 2, which received praise from the critics and audience alike, didn't get traction at the box office. With War 2 and Coolie releasing this week, it's worth to see if Saiyaara can maintain its momentum. About Saiyaara Produced by Yash Raj Films, the film deals with love, loss, and heartbreak in a poignant way. The film stars debutant Ahaan Pandey as Krish Kapoor, a struggling musician, alongside Aneet Padda as Vaani Batra, a young writer diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease. In A Nutshell Mohit Suri's musical Saiyaara continues to script history at the box office. The film entered the Rs 300 crore club on August 4 at the domestic box office. Saiyaara entered the fourth week and the earnings stand at Rs 321.35 crore.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store