Kashyap wanted Zoya to be herself

With Mukkabaaz, director Anurag Kashyap is bringing a fresh story and promising newcomers to the big screen.

Known to hone and mentor upcoming talent, when the award-winning filmmaker learnt that debutante Zoya Hussain has plans to lose weight in order to fit the role in the sports drama, he immediately dissuaded her and asked her to be herself. He wanted her to look natural and focus on the role of a mute girl. And, to deliver a strong performance, Zoya stopped speaking for a few weeks. She also transformed her facial expression and her body language. Essaying the role of a small-town, mute girl of Bareilly, the actor with an expertise in theatre, suffered from slipped disc, before signing the film. This medical condition resulted in her weight gain.

Kashyap made it clear to the newcomer that her character, Sunaina, is a confident and self-sufficient girl who holds a strong opinion. Known to go to great lengths in order to perfect the psyche of a character, Kashyap wanted Zoya to be real, relatable, and be able to exude a body language typical to people who communicate by signs. “Since my character hails from a small town, Anurag sir preferred beauty in simplicity. It was a memorable experience working with him,” says Zoya.

The film narrates the story of a boxer, who wants to win a mute girl’s hand in marriage and become a successful boxer, braving all odds.

Presented by Eros International and Aanand L Rai and produced by Colour Productions in association

with Phantom Films, Mukkabaaz, also stars Jimmy Sheirgill and Ravi Kishan. The film releases on

January 12.