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Hindustan Times
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Before Son of Sardaar 2, stream these Mrunal Thakur films on OTT that showcase her versatility
Ajay Devgn and Mrunal Thakur's awaited comedy film, Son of Sardaar 2, is gearing up to release on August 1. Before the chaos and mayhem of Son of Sardaar 2 hits the screens, revisit some of Mrunal's fine performances. From Sita Ramam to Love Sonia, here are some of her films that reflect her versatility. As Son of Sardaar 2 awaits theatrical release, stream these films on OTT platforms that prove her acting mettle and showcase why she is much more than just a pretty girl. Mrunal Thakur's Sita Ramam, Son of Sardaar 2 Mrunal Thakur films on OTT Sita Ramam (JioHotstar via OTTplay Premium) Mrunal Thakur is the heart of this poetic tale of love and emotions. She plays the titular role of Sita in this love story alongside Dulquer Salmaan. The plot of this period drama film centers on a beautiful love story and a bunch of letter letters. Rashmika Mandanna also plays a pivotal role in the film. Love Sonia (JioHotstar via OTTplay Premium) This emotionally charged drama film revolves around a young sister who embarks on a challenging journey to rescue her sister after their father sold her for money. Mrunal plays the titular role in the film, and despite being a newcomer, she delivers an impressive performance. The movie sheds light on human trafficking and takes you through the narrow roads of the red-light areas. Riya Sisodiya, Freida Pinto, Demi Moore, and many other formidable stars are part of the ensemble. Vitti Dandu (Z5 via OTTplay Premium) Not just Hindi and Telugu, but Mrunal has also showcased her craft in Marathi cinema. She plays a pivotal role in this drama film alongside Dilip Prabhavalkar, Ashok Samarth, and others. Set against the backdrop of the pre-Independence era, the story revolves around revolutionary fight and resistance, and is narrated by a grandfather to his grandson. Super 30 (JioHotstar via OTTplay Premium) Vikas Bahl's captivating biopic, Super 30, features Hrithik Roshan and Mrunal Thakur in the lead. The latter marked her Bollywood debut with the film as she plays the love interest of the lead character, Anand Kumar. Mrunal's warm acting profoundly impacts the viewers. The story centers around a kind-hearted mathematician who mentors poor children to follow their dreams against the odds. Hi Nanna (Netflix) Featuring Nani and Mrunal Thakur in the lead, the plot revolves around a doting father and his young daughter, Mahi. Things take a surprising turn when a beautiful woman gets entangled in their lives with a shared past. Kiara Khanna plays Nani's ill daughter and Jayaram also plays a pivotal role. Mrunal's performance in the movie gained her widespread attention and love.
NDTV
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Bollywood Has A Brownfacing Problem, From Siddhant Chaturvedi In Dhadak 2 To Hrithik Roshan In Super 30
Karan Johar's Dhadak was slammed for leaving out the brutality of caste oppression. Caste violence and honour killing - the hard-hitting realities of India - made the Marathi film Sairat (2016) a lucrative option for this 2018 Bollywood remake, which launched Janhvi Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter. Karan Johar has learnt from his detractors. This time, he has come up with Dhadak 2 (a spiritual sequel of Dhadak) and rooted his story in caste politics. Fair enough. But fairness in Bollywood comes with a price. Siddhant Chaturvedi, who plays a Dalit character in Dhadak 2, appears in the film's trailer with a darkened skin tone. Maybe the makers feel a darker skin tone brings a certain authenticity to the character. The Gully Boy breakout star is just an addition to the long list of Bollywood actors who are part of the Brownfacing 'pantheon'. Hrithik Roshan in Super 30 (2019), Ranveer Singh in Gully Boy (2019), Samantha Ruth Prabhu in The Family Man 2 (2021), Alia Bhatt in Udta Punjab (2016), Bhumi Pednekar in Bala (2019), Amy Jackson in Ekk Deewana Tha (2012) are the latest examples. The trend can be traced back to Satyajit Ray's Aranyer Din Ratri (1970), in which a fair-skinned Simi Garewal's face was darkened beyond recognition. Or, when Zeenat Aman played a domestic worker in Pyaas (1982). Brownfacing is not entirely a casting issue. It's intrinsically associated with the industry's decades-old stereotypes, age-old ideas about casteism and skin colour, and an (un)intentional effort to dehumanise the people who have dark skin. What's Brownfacing? Brownfacing refers to a term when a fair-skinned actor darkens his/her skin tone to portray a down-trodden character, especially to denote one's socioeconomic standing. It's commonly believed in Bollywood that a person from a backward community can't be fair. A fair-skinned, so-called good-looking actor won't look real on screen if his/her skin tone is not dark enough to portray a character from a backward community or a lower caste. That's not all. In Hindi films, revolving around rags-to-riches stories, a character tends to look fairer (compared to his previous projection) when he becomes a fortune's favourite. Talking about this trend, psychologist Ruchi Ruuh tells NDTV, "Brownfacing turns marginalised identities into costumes, which can trigger dehumanisation, a process where people begin to see certain groups as less human or less worthy. It also erases the real representation and opportunities for people who likely face these systemic challenges to enter the industry." From Hrithik Roshan To Samantha Ruth Prabhu - Fifty Shades Of Brown Vikas Bahl's 2019 film Super 30 was based on the life of Bihar-based educator and entrepreneur Anand Kumar. Bollywood superstar Hrithik Roshan, often referred to as Greek God due to his strikingly handsome facial features and muscular body, was brownfaced to resemble Anand Kumar. Alia Bhatt played a Bihari migrant worker in Abhishek Chaubey's Udta Punjab (2016). In Zoya Akhtar's Gully Boy (2019), Ranveer Singh played a Dharavi slum dweller who wants to become a rapper. From a Bihari to a Mumbai slum-dweller, the othering of a character from a less privileged background or a lower caste was never complete without some extra doses of bronzer in Hindi films. Surprisingly, the filmmakers have seemed to ignore the fact that they end up perpetuating a stereotype through a powerful medium like cinema, which is supposed to challenge the prevalent ill-practices in society. Talking about Ranveer Singh's brown face in Gully Boy, Zoya Akhtar had told Huffpost India that it was not intentional. Ranveer had a tan when he started shooting: "He came from a holiday in the Maldives. He came back toasty. So when we started shooting that's how he was looking but he started fading. Now we had to keep him toasty to keep the consistency," Akhtar said. "We didn't do that to anyone. They can't be peachy either though. There is a certain sun-spotting that comes when you live like that the whole time, spending a lot of time in the sun. They aren't applying sunscreens. For someone like Amrita Shubhash (who plays Ranveer's mother), she's young but she looks like she's lived. You don't shoot in sequence so you have to keep it going. But no, I'm not a brown-facer," Zoya added. In Raj and DK's hit series The Family Man Season 2, Samantha Ruth Prabhu played a fierce Sri Lankan Tamil rebel, Raji. Apparently, Samantha's grit and terrific action skills were not enough to make her look convincing on screen. Her face was darkened. In their defence back then, Raj and DK told Film Companion, "Usually, this whole thing comes under the context of beauty, that dark skin is not beautiful and fair skin is... This is not the context in The Family Man. There is no context of skin beauty here. We're all shades of brown." Small Screen Showed The Way The prevalent practice of brownfacing in Hindi films took a jolt when a dark-skinned actress was cast to play a dark-skinned character for a daily soap titled Saat Phere - Saloni Ka Safar (2005-2009). The show, which revolved around a dusky bahu challenging the societal expectation of a fair-skinned bride - was headlined by Rajshree Thakur. Rajshree Thakur in Saat Phere Popular television actress Mahii Vij rose to fame with the prime-time show Laagi Tujhse Lagan (2009). The makers made the maximum use of the brownfacing trope and weaved it into a gripping storyline later. Nakusha (played by Mahii) was forced to hide her beauty as she was born into a poor household. Mahii, who is very fair in real life too, revealed her real self much later in the show. And, it all went in the name of a "storyline". In an old interview, Mahii revealed it would take her an hour to become Nakusha. "Nobody recognised me on the first day of the shoot because of the colour. Nakusha was made to look ugly with kajal and ash on her body," she had said. The Change - A Ray Of Hope Comes from a village, a lower caste or an underprivileged background has nothing to do with one's skin colour. For example, in the Prime Video original series Panchayat all characters are shown in their true skin tones. There's a room for a fair-skinned Manju Devi (Neena Gupta), who is the mother to a darker-skinned daughter Rinky (Sanvikaa), along with a Vinod (Ashok Pathak) or a Bhushan/Banraakas (Durgesh Kumar). "Bollywood's obsession with colorism, both on screen and off screen, subtly teaches viewers that darker skin is something to overcome or be transformed out of," said Ruchi Ruuh. Perhaps Ruchi Ruuh's words won't reach the targeted directors or producers. After all, not everything is fair in the film industry.
Hindustan Times
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Couldn't imagine myself doing a commercial film: Mrunal Thakur
Mumbai, Actor Mrunal Thakur on Friday said that she wasn't sure she could pull off mainstream comedy like her upcoming film, 'Son of Sardaar 2' and thanked co-star Ajay Devgn for giving her the opportunity to explore the genre. Couldn't imagine myself doing a commercial film: Mrunal Thakur The upcoming action-comedy film is a sequel to the 2012 film of the same name, fronted by Devgn. The second instalment is directed by Vijay Kumar Arora. 'I loved troubling Jassi in this film. In this film, four women trouble him. This is my first commercial film. I'm grateful to Ajay sir and the director who gave me this opportunity. "I couldn't imagine myself as Rabia, and to torture Jassi in the film, I was like 'Will I be able to do all of this?' But then with the help of Deepak sir , Kubbra , Roshni, and later Chunky sir joined in, we had a lot of fun. I had a lot of fun with Deepak sir,' Thakur, known for her work in critically acclaimed films like 'Love Sonia', 'Super 30', 'Sita Ramam', and 'Hi Nanna', said at the trailer launch of "Son of Sardaar 2" here. Directed by Vijay Kumar Arora, the film boasts an ensemble star cast featuring Ravi Kishan, Sanjay Mishra, Neeru Bajwa, Chunky Panday, Kubbra Sait, Deepak Dobriyal, Vindu Dara Singh, Roshni Walia, Sharat Saxena, Sahil Mehta and the late Mukul Dev. Kishan and Sait fondly remembered working with Dev, who passed away in May this year at the age of 54. 'Mukul has been an old friend. We've spent about 40 days together, and suddenly . He was very excited. You will love him, you'll have a great time with all of his jokes and performances. We all love Mukul, and we miss him. I would suggest watching the film for Mukul, he is a great actor,' Kishan said. Sait said Dev was the first person to be on the sets and the cast misses him. Initially, Dutt was meant to reprise his role; however, he was unable to join the UK schedule due to his visa being rejected by the UK. He was replaced by Kishan. 'I'm thankful to Ajay sir and the British government, who gave me a visa, because of which I could do the film. Sanju Baba had done this role before in the first part, and for some reason, he couldn't do it, and I was very worried and stressed to play the part in the sequel. Ajay sir had that trust in me. I'm sure people will get entertained watching this movie,' Kishan said. Dobriyal said playing the role of a woman was the 'biggest challenge'. 'I play a woman in this film. It was a tough role. I was dressed as a woman on set, but my body language would be that of a man. It took me about five days to understand why everyone was looking at me in a certain way,' the actor said. Produced by Devgn alongside Jyoti Deshpande, N R Pachisia and Pravin Talreja, 'Son of Sardaar 2' is set to release on July 25. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Pink Villa
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Mrunal Thakur's journey from TV show Kumkum Bhagya to being a part of Rs 100 crore film, a look at her rise to stardom
Is there anyone who doesn't know Mrunal Thakur now? Well, if you had asked this question back in 2012, there might have been many who wouldn't have heard her name. However, the actress who started her career on TV has made sure to win everyone's hearts by 2025. Let us take you through her transition journey, which is not only inspiring but also proves that one should take risks in life. Mrunal Thakur's TV career break Mrunal Thakur's career started in 2012, where she made her debut in Mujhse Kuchh Kehti…Yeh Khamoshiyaan as Gauri Bhosle. She was still in college at that time. Her breakthrough role came in 2014 from Kumkum Bhagya, where she played the role of Bulbul Arora. She was not the main character, yet she managed to become a household name. She left the show due to declining screen time. After this, she appeared in a couple of reality shows and an Indonesian serial before retiring from TV in 2016. Mrunal Thakur's shift from TV to Bollywood Mrunal Thakur made her film debut with Love Sonia in 2018. This was an international project on human trafficking. She was brilliant in the film, and her performance won her loads of accolades. Then came her biggest opportunity, a film opposite Hrithik Roshan, Super 30. This was her first mainstream Bollywood film, and she played his on-screen love interest. From here, there was no looking back for her. In 2019, she starred in her second mainstream film, Batla House, alongside John Abraham. Well, in the COVID-19 period, she got a chance to explore new platforms and diverse genres. She experimented with Ghost Stories on Netflix and then also played Farhan Akhtar's love interest in the 2021 sports drama Toofaan. She was also a part of Shahid Kapoor's Jersey in 2022. Mrunal Thakur's transition from Bollywood to Tollywood She debuted in Telugu cinema with Sita Ramam in 2022 opposite Dulquer Salmaan. This film not only won awards but also won hearts. She continued her Tollywood journey with yet another hit film, Hi Nanna, and it further cemented her South Indian industry stature. Now she has a couple of exciting films in her kitty that include Hai Jawani To Ishq Hona Hai alongside Varun Dhawan, Pooja Hegde, and more South collaborations. With success in both Bollywood and Tollywood, Mrunal Thakur has become a pan-India name, and she has indeed come a long way. More power to her!
Time of India
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'Will I be able to do all this?' — Mrunal Thakur on embracing comedy in 'Son of Sardaar 2'
Actor on Friday said that she wasn't sure she could pull off mainstream comedy like her upcoming film, "Son of Sardaar 2" and thanked co-star for giving her the opportunity to explore the genre. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The upcoming action-comedy film is a sequel to the 2012 film of the same name, fronted by Devgn. The second instalment is directed by . "I loved troubling Jassi (Devgn's character) in this film. In this film, four women trouble him. This is my first commercial film. I'm grateful to Ajay sir and the director who gave me this opportunity. "I couldn't imagine myself as Rabia, and to torture Jassi in the film, I was like 'Will I be able to do all of this?' But then with the help of Deepak sir (Dobriyal), Kubbra (Sait), Roshni, and later Chunky sir joined in, we had a lot of fun. I had a lot of fun with Deepak sir," Thakur, known for her work in critically acclaimed films like "Love Sonia", "Super 30", "Sita Ramam", and "Hi Nanna", said at the trailer launch of "Son of Sardaar 2" here. Directed by Vijay Kumar Arora, the film boasts an ensemble star cast featuring Ravi Kishan, Sanjay Mishra, Neeru Bajwa, Chunky Panday, Kubbra Sait, Deepak Dobriyal, Vindu Dara Singh, Roshni Walia, Sharat Saxena, Sahil Mehta and the late Mukul Dev. Kishan and Sait fondly remembered working with Dev, who passed away in May this year at the age of 54. "Mukul has been an old friend. We've spent about 40 days together, and suddenly (he passed away). He was very excited. You will love him, you'll have a great time with all of his jokes and performances. We all love Mukul, and we miss him. I would suggest watching the film for Mukul, he is a great actor," Kishan said. Sait said Dev was the first person to be on the sets and the cast misses him. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Initially, Dutt was meant to reprise his role; however, he was unable to join the UK schedule due to his visa being rejected by the UK. He was replaced by Kishan. "I'm thankful to Ajay sir and the British government, who gave me a visa, because of which I could do the film. Sanju Baba had done this role before in the first part, and for some reason, he couldn't do it, and I was very worried and stressed to play the part in the sequel. Ajay sir had that trust in me. I'm sure people will get entertained watching this movie," Kishan said. Dobriyal said playing the role of a woman was the "biggest challenge". "I play a woman in this film. It was a tough role. I was dressed as a woman on set, but my body language would be that of a man. It took me about five days to understand why everyone was looking at me in a certain way," the actor said. Produced by Devgn alongside Jyoti Deshpande, N R Pachisia and Pravin Talreja, "Son of Sardaar 2" is set to release on July 25.
