“I worked very hard for it. I actually met some people from this community. There’s a salon in Lokhandwala where someone from this community works. I interacted with them, copied their mannerisms, and met many others before. Vinay Ji, who is also the director, helped me a lot in understanding this character. I took help from everyone,” he says.

“Then I watched some old films with gay characters, researched them, and incorporated bits and pieces from them into my own character. I lost 9 kilos for this role. My weight had always been around 82, and for this role, I reduced my weight by 9 kilos so that my body language would be appropriate for the character,” he adds.

Ashok Kumar Beniwal also shares that, though he was finalised for the role, he prepared himself and gave auditions until he got it right.

“Once I had immersed myself in the character for such a long time, I even gave a proper audition to ensure I captured the correct mood. I auditioned specifically for this role and nothing else, just to make sure it was done perfectly. Although I was verbally confirmed for this role, I still made and sent three videos over a period of time and sent them to the director, Vinay Sharma,” he says.

“He gave some feedback, and then I re-did it after 2-3 days and sent it again. This process continued until the character was fully approved, and I completely absorbed the character. By the time we reached the set, I was not at all afraid. I enjoyed it so much,” he adds.

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