‘We feed off each other’s performance’

Says Neena Gupta about her chemistry with Gajraj Rao

Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan may follow the love story of two men, played by Ayushmann Khurrana and Jitendra Kumar, but for Badhaai Ho! fans the highlight of the film is the heartwarming equation between another on-screen couple.

As a middle-aged couple Neena Gupta and Gajraj Rao’s affable romance in 2018’s comedy drama, which also starred Ayushmann, was a driving force in the success of the film, and the duo are aiming to recreate the magic with the upcoming movie.

But Neena said their onscreen chemistry has evolved with time as Gajraj was initially “very reserved”. “During Badhaai Ho!, he used to be very reserved and quiet. He used to take a lot of permissions during the scenes which really irritated me initially. ‘Neena ji may I put my head on your lap like this, ‘Can I do this or that?’ But eventually when we started rehearsing, it became easy. Now both of us joke around and pull each other’s leg. We are very comfortable both mentally and physically. We are able to feed off each other’s performance and people can see that comfort on screen which translates into an easy chemistry,” the veteran actor said. Besides her acting skills, Neena has been in the headlines for her style statement.

But the actor said she has always been “very fashionable”. “It’s just that people think they are discovering me as this fashion diva because I have started putting pictures on my Instagram,” she quipped.

Neena has a long list of projects including Amazon series Panchayat, which reunites her with Jitendra; an untitled cross-border film with Arjun Kapoor and Rakul Preet Singh; and Netflix’s reality-based show Masaba Masaba, in which she will feature with her daughter, fashion designer Masaba Gupta.