Phone Bhoot is your first horror comedy. Tell us about the experience of playing a ghost in the film.
Essentially, my character, Ragini, is quirky, which I like. I have worked with the director to make her
more fun. Initially, my lines were girly and flat, while the boys (Ishaan Khatter and Siddhant Chaturvedi)
had great lines, but I asked the writers, Jasvinder Bath and Ravi Shankaran, to treat her as a character, irrespective of gender.
Do you enjoy watching horror movies?
My mind is like a sponge and very susceptible. I always turn my eyes away when I’m watching a violent film. I get nightmares. It is sad, but I am sensitive to such things.
Over the years, you have done numerous films across genres. What is it you look for while picking projects?
I am not the same as when I did Aanand Rai’s Zero or Salman Khan’s Bharat, nor am I in the same headspace when I did Namaste London all those years ago. We change as humans and as artists; it’s essential to allow that change to reflect in your work. Right now, I am taking time for self-exploration. I am observing, thinking and spending time with myself to figure out what I would like to do in the future.
Tell us about your next film, Sriram Raghavan’s bilingual Merry Christmas, in which you will be seen with Tamil actor Vijay Sethupati for the first time.
Merry Christmas has taken the life out of me but also given me a lot back. It’s a thriller and quite intense. You feel like you are in a washing machine being whirled around. The language too was a challenge because I had to say my dialogues in Tamil. But, it’s a film that both Vijay Sethupathi and I were passionate about. He is enormously talented and brings a lot of ease to his work. Also, Sriram Raghavan is one of my favourite directors and was always on my bucket list.
It’s been over a year since Farhan Akhtar’s Jee Le Zara starring Priyanka Chopra, Alia Bhat and you, was announced. When can we expect a release date?
All I can say is that we are all committed to doing this film and it will happen at the right time.
How much has life changed since marriage? Will we see you and Vicky Kaushal working together?
Vicky has brought a lot of peace and stability into my life and we both respect each other’s work. We see things differently hence our discussions are always interesting and healthy. I have, however, told Vicky that I don’t want to work with him (laughs).
I believe it will be challenging. Let me narrate an incident.
I was reading a scene from Merry Christmas and he offered to read with me. He went through the script, which was about three pages, and kept it aside. He said it was in his head. It takes me at least two to three readings to prepare. Vicky’s level of ease and spontaneity is something that I admire a lot. I told him
I can’t work with him unless it is a dynamic film with two unique characters.