Filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj`s eyes light up at the mention of Arjun Ustara, the period drama he is currently shooting. While he had initially planned the movie with the late Irrfan Khan, Shahid Kapoor has now stepped into the role, marking the actor-director’s fourth collaboration after Kaminey (2009), Haider (2014) and Rangoon (2017). “Both of us are excited to come back together. The shooting has been terrific,” says Bhardwaj. The director is equally impressed by Triptii Dimri in their maiden collaboration. “Triptii is so lovely, and such a fine actor. This is the first time I’m working with Nana Patekar and I’ve been thinking, ‘Why did I not work with him before?’”

Vishal Bhardwaj

Bhardwaj is also the composer on his films. He notes a renewed interest in the value that music brings to a movie today, saying, “There was a time when a film became a hit with a hit song. Then no matter how hit the songs were, a film didn’t work if it wasn’t good. Now, again, a film will work if the songs are a hit. Tauba tauba [Bad Newz , 2024] is cited as an example where the song and step worked, so the film worked. I don’t know if that’s true.”

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