Ishaan Khatter recently shared a humorous anecdote from his time filming "Dhadak," the Hindi adaptation of the Marathi blockbuster "Sairat". The actor recalled an incident on his first day on set where he was mistaken for a local and nearly denied entry.
Khatter recounted that he was in costume, dressed as his character Madhukar Bagla, a Rajasthani boy. He was wearing an embroidered Rajasthani shirt and had his hair slicked back, fully embodying the character. He had also been practicing his Marwari to prepare for the role. However, upon arriving on set, a security guard stopped him, saying, "Look, no locals allowed".
The actor took the incident in good humor, stating he "was very happy" about it. This likely stemmed from the fact that his transformation was so convincing that he appeared to be a local from Udaipur, where the movie was set.
"Dhadak," directed by Shashank Khaitan, is set against the backdrop of Udaipur and tells the story of star-crossed lovers, Madhukar (played by Ishaan Khatter) and Parthavi (played by Janhvi Kapoor), who belong to different castes. The film explores their love story and the challenges they face due to societal divisions.
To prepare for their roles, both Ishaan and Janhvi worked on learning the Marwari language and immersed themselves in the local culture of Udaipur. They would converse with locals and explore the city to better understand the nuances of their characters and the setting. In fact, Ishaan's dedication to his role went so far that he was also willing to eat a plate full of green chillies for a scene, sweetened with ghee and jaggery. The production team used this method to neutralize the spice, allowing him to film the eating scene for six hours without extreme discomfort.
While "Dhadak" aimed to capture the essence of "Sairat," it was intended to be an adaptation rather than a direct remake. The director, Shashank Khaitan, wanted to present the story with a fresh perspective while still highlighting important social truths. The film was shot in various locations, including Udaipur and Kolkata, to showcase the characters' journey.
Despite some initial comparisons to "Sairat" and the pressures of living up to the original film's success, Ishaan Khatter and Janhvi Kapoor worked to bring their own interpretations to the characters.
