YRF's Casting Director Met Actor In 'Dark', Asked If He Smoked And Gave Film Due To 'Creepy' Laugh

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Shanoo Sharma met this actor in a dark place where his eye colour popped. He later nailed his audition, debuting in Mardaani 2.
Vishal Jethwa delivered one of the most chilling and memorable debut performances in recent Bollywood memory with YRF's Mardaani 2. Cast as the serial rapist 'Sunny," Vishal Jethwa juxtaposed raw intensity with calculated menace, making him the perfect nemesis to Rani Mukerji's relentless SP Shivani Shivaji Roy. In a recent chat with The Hollywood Reporter India, casting director Shanoo Sharma recalled how she cast him in the film.
Shanoo Sharma said, 'Mardani 2, had we had options. We had star options. We had newcomers, and we were like done casting for that part." She mentioned that Vishal Jethwa had previously auditioned for a role at YRF, so she found his clip in the archives while collating clips for a previous film.
Vishal immediately captured Shanoo's attention, who then enquired about his acting background. Upon learning that he was a small-time TV actor, Shanoo set up a meeting with him the same evening. She recalled, 'I met him in a dark place where there was low lighting, and his eyes were popping. I asked, 'Beta tu kal mere liye audition karega?' He said, 'Haan, ma'am.' I gave him the script. It was that long monologue. I didn't tell him to do the dialect."
Vishal met Shanoo and her team of 10-12 people the next day. Shanoo said, 'He did the first audition, and it was not bad. I said, 'Tu cigarette peeta hai?' He said, 'Nahi.' I said, 'Chai peeta hai?' He said, 'Haan.' We were in Aram Nagar because my office was getting renovated and I said, 'Bahar ja ke ek cup chai pe ke aa… Tu apna full potential bilkul nahi dikha raha hai.'"
The actor followed Shanoo's advice and nailed his second audition. 'I watched him and I was stunned. I was like, yeah, this is going to be war now because this has to be in the film," Shanoo said. She praised Vishal for not being too groomed, and when he asked her how he performed, she said, 'Bohot sahi tha, yaar."
Shanoo added, 'It just came out of my mouth…and he laughed. He went like… he did some weird laugh. And in that laugh, I knew he was the guy. That laughter was so creepy that I knew he was the guy." She said, 'Vishal is completely a very special story for me purely for this sense of I'm seeing auditions and fatt kar ke I've stopped at this guy."
The casting director mentioned that it's 'not easy to share a frame with Rani Mukerji" due to her acting talent, but Vishal held his own and 'gave his life" to the film. Shanoo Sharma revealed that even Rani Mukerji called her to praise Vishal's acting chops.
About Mardaani 2
Mardaani 2 (2019), directed by Gopi Puthran, is a hard-hitting crime thriller that continues the story of fearless cop Shivani Shivaji Roy, played by Rani Mukerji. The film tackles the disturbing theme of gender-based violence and delivers a strong social message wrapped in an intense, fast-paced narrative. Set in Kota, Rajasthan, the story follows Shivani Roy as she tracks down a brutal and remorseless rapist and serial killer, portrayed chillingly by Vishal Jethwa in his breakout role.
Mardaani 3 In Works
Yash Raj Films officially confirmed Mardaani 3 during the release anniversary of Mardaani 2, with Rani Mukerji reprising her role as the fierce cop, Shivani Shivaji Roy. The film is slated to release in 2026. Abhiraj Minawala will direct the film; he's been associated with several YRF projects like Sultan, Gunday, Tiger 3, and War 2. The screenplay is written by Aayush Gupta.
First Published:
August 08, 2025, 11:08 IST
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