Alia Bhatt reveals she shot Kalank, Brahmastra simultaneously, ‘some days were impossible to get by’

Alia Bhatt has two releases lined up - while she stars opposite Varun Dhawan in period drama Kalank, Ranbir Kapoor plays the lead in fantasy film Brahmastra.

Actor Alia Bhatt has said that making Kalank, her upcoming period drama, was difficult, and filming the climax was especially draining.This is her second film with the director, Abhishek Varman and fourth with co-star Varun Dhawan, and Alia has said it was not easy.

Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt at a photo shoot during the promotions of Kalank in New Delhi, on April 13. ( IANS )

Speaking to Mid Day, Alia admitted that the film ‘s sets felt like a home ground and the familiar people made her comfortable but it wasn’t easy as Kalank is a “difficult film”. She said, “I was shooting Brahmastra and Kalank simultaneously, some days were just impossible to get by. It’s not easy to live up to Abhishek’s vision. Roop, my character, is a millennial living in the 40s. Her thought process may be evolved, but she is always graceful in her demeanour. We deliberately kept Roop imperfect. I like that because as an actor it’s a challenge to bring out the vulnerabilities of a character. Being perfect all the time is boring and a burden. The climax of the film was draining.”

Speaking about the climax of the film, choreographer Saroj Khan had earlier revealed that the final sequence involves a dance number by Madhuri, choreographed by Saroj herself. “Four years after Gulaab Gang, I’ve choreographed another song for Madhuri (Dixit). All through the film (Kalank) she makes others dance and never dances herself, then, in the climax, when Varun’s (Dhawan) Zafar enters the kotha, she breaks into a mujra. Tabahi is a sad, situational song with fast-paced beats. Madhuri and I danced our hearts out and I’m hopeful that after seeing it, people will remember Saroj Khan again,” she had said.

Alia also defended the violence in her Gully Boy character and told the tabloid, “I saw her as wild and that was liberating. The violence is not something I endorse, but she is real. What else would happen to someone who has been pigeonholed? She built up a lot of negative energy inside her, but as a person, she wasn’t toxic. I understand the traits are similar - she was manipulative, but Safeena was also honest and colourful, with her heart in the right place. Minus the violence, she was a top character.”

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Produced by Karan Johar and starring Madhuri Dixit, Sanjay Dutt, Sonakshi Sinha and Aditya Roy Kapur, Kalank is set to hit theatres on April 17.