Stars In The City | Bhool Chuk Maaf actors Rajkummar Rao, Wamiqa Gabbi bring back Chor Bazari magic

IT was a daytime of laughter and stories as the mould of Bhool Chuk Maaf — actors Rajkummar Rao and Wamiqa Gabbi, on with theater director Karan Sharma — lit up the HT metropolis office during the Stars in the City session. The trio brought vibrant energy as they discussed their upcoming film Bhool Chuk Maaf and more with Sonal Kalra, Chief Managing Editor, Lifestyle & Entertainment Hindustan Times.Speaking about what encouraged her to be part of this film, Wamiqa said, “Sirf ek cheez toh nahi thi, bahut saari cheezein thi. Like working with (producer) Dinesh Vijan, Rajkummar, and Karan sir. Aur itni funny script hai ki narration mein main bas hass rahi thi. Aur end mein aate aate, (ye film) itni khubsoorat baatein keh jaati hai... I was very happy that this (film) came to me.” She also spoke about the sci-fi rom-com being shot in Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh). Wamiqa said, “It is a beautiful city, and the way it has been shot, it looks so dreamy!”Also Read: Rajkummar Rao, Wamiqa Gabbi-starrer Bhool Chuk Maaf will now release in theatres on May 23, say makersMeanwhile, Rajkummar, who has played several small-town characters, spoke about how the quirks of those characters has not rubbed off on his off-screen personality. “Not at all. I think I am still a Delhi boy, and will always be a Gurgaon-Delhi boy,” adding, “Yes, whenever there is a character, you try and pick up the lingo — but always keeping in mind that it’s understandable for everyone. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed playing small-town characters in Bareilly Ki Barfi (2017), Stree (2018), and now Bhool Chuk Maaf. But there’s a lot more in the basket which is not small town (roles). I don’t want to put myself in a bracket.”Time travel is a new concept in Bollywood, and Karan shared that the film blends his fascination with vortexes — a mechanism for time travel. Karan explained the rationale behind the film’s plot, saying, “Ek concept hai vortex and main usmein bohot believe karta hun ki ‘aisa ho jaye to kaise ho’ aur meri favourite film hai Monsoon Wedding, toh mujhe shaadi wala mahaul banana tha. Mujhe ye tha ki ye shaadi wala mahaul iss tarah se dikhana hai ki isme fun bhi ho and romance bhi ho par woh shaadi na khatam ho. Haldi pe atak jaaaye.”Sharing their thoughts on the ongoing OTT vs theatre debate, Rajkummar said, “There is no problem with the theatres, the problem is that we need to raise the bar. Give the audience something unique and fresh. We should make good films and work on promoting it well because people should be aware that this film is there on the screens.”Karan too weighed in on the debate: “Aap ghar par film dekh bhi rahe hain toh usme maza nahin aata. Main uss generation se aaya hun jahan DDLJ (Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, 1995) dekhne ke liye black mein ticket khareedne ke liye dande khaye hain. Aur andar jaa ke jo mahaul milta hai, jo collective laughter aata hai, wo kahin aur nahin milta.”On a more fun note, when Rajkummar was asked about a moment where wouldn't mind being stuck in a loop, he answered, “My wedding day, because it was the most beautiful experience I’ve ever had. Another one would be the very nice moments with my mother that I really cherish, especially now that she is not around anymore. I’d love to relive those moments.”Interestingly, when a fan asked Rajkummar what would he be if not an actor, he replied saying, “Since I was little, (acting) is the only thing I’ve wanted to do and I’ve worked hard only towards this. I’ve never thought of a Plan B. Plan A was there, and Plan B was to make Plan A work. But hypothetically, I think I’d be in the Armed Forces. I get very fascinated seeing soldiers.”