Actor Aparshakti Khurana’s debut project Dangal (2016) bore a testament to his impeccable comic timing. He followed it up with films like Luka Chuppi, Pati Patni Aur Woh (both 2019) and Hum Do Hamare Do (2021), where he was seen adding a layer of his signature humour.
And now, he is all set to showcase a different side of himself with the upcoming suspense thriller titled Dhoka D Round Corner, where he plays a Kashmiri terrorist. It traverses different facets of human relationships but follows a rather gritty and darker central theme.
Talking about it, Khurana says, “It explores a different take on human relationships intertwined because of personality complexes, captured with an overall theme which is slightly grungy and grey. I play a Kashmiri terrorist in the film. I have tried to show a different side of myself as a performer and I hope that the audience accepts me in this new version of mine on the big screen. I’m really excited for this one.”
He credits the makers of the film for putting their faith in his talent and trusting him with a role far removed from the ones that he has been playing over the years. “With Dhoka, I am attempting a very different genre for the very first time. I was trying to do something apart from comedy for a while now but only Kookie Gulati (director) and Bhushan Kumar (producer) showed that confidence in me,” the Helmet (2020) actor adds.
The role required Khurana to learn Kashmiri and lose a few kilograms. Shedding light on the prep, he shares, “I hired and worked extensively to learn the Kashmiri language for my character. I also had to drop down a little bit of weight to achieve a leaner look as the character demanded that and had to shorten my hair for the look.”
Dhoka D Round Corner also stars R Madhavan, Khushali Kumar and Darshan Kumar. The film is slated for a release this September. As for Khurana, he will also be seen in the upcoming spy thriller, Berlin, starring Rahul Bose, and a period drama series for Amazon Prime Video titled Jubilee, directed by filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane.
