Nusrat Jahan and Yash Dasgupta play ATS peers in Puja release SOS Kolkata, directed by Anshuman Pratyush. A tete-e-tete with the duo on all things SOS and Pujas, of course!
What’s your Puja wardrobe like?
Yash: I don’t wear too much ethnic, but this time my mom has been insisting that I try it. With the shoot too, my mindset has changed. I went for a Puja opening the other day and I wore kurta-pyjama-Jawahar coat. I am falling in love with it.
Nusrat: Pujas are all about colours. Give me a yellow and I am happy. For the evening give me a blue and I am super happy. Red is probably for a night-out with friends. I thought I will wear pastels. How to avoid a red on Ashtami or a beautiful purple and blue on Navami?
What’s great about shooting with each other?
Yash: We share a great bond and have each other’s back. We are a team. The shoot was a lot to fun. I like to dress up and this was especially for the Pujas.
Nusrat: I think this is my first photo shoot with Yash. That is something different. He is a nice co-actor. He won’t let you fall when you are in those stiletto boots.
What can you tell us about each other that we don’t know?
Yash: She comes across as a powerful woman, but she has a different side. She has a kid in her and you need to take care of that... I am not complaining... that doesn’t surface in public.
Nusrat: He is not as serious as we all perceive him. He laughs and cracks jokes. Normally, he is a little short-tempered, but at the shoot he was calm and fuss-free.
Nusrat, you are looking fabulous in SOS Kolkata…
Nusrat: I worked out in the last phase of lockdown. In the first phase I only cooked and ate. Then SOS came to me. So, it just so happened that the fit-me clicked with SOS. They had offered me the role opposite Yash, but I chose to play Amanda Jones. You don’t always have to be opposite the hero. You can walk beside the hero too. I am done coyly smiling and romancing, not that I don’t like it.
And, you are kicking ass…
Nusrat: I have always kicked ass! (Laugh) Now, like literally on screen. I was a little scared though. I have always seen heroes do action and I can’t even run properly. I thought of giving it a try because I’ll learn something new. I had no idea that false bullets too make noise. I got scared, but then I got a grip over myself. The action director made me do the weirdest possible things. It had to look realistic and that I could get hurt too. And, I did get hurt… aamar haath shoja hochhilo na. This film taught that kicking ass is fun. We all should learn basic self-defence.
1. Nusrat and Yash channelled cool and casual oomph in the classic combination of white and blue. “I would love to wear denims and a white shirt for the Saptami morning,” said Nusrat. Yash feels it “always works wonders with the girls”. “This works all the time and it can never go wrong. Even a black shirt works well. I have a lot of them and when I am confused that’s what I wear,” said Yash. (Shirt and jeans: Zara; eyewear: Idee) Styling: Sandy; pictures: Somnath Roy Yash: Hair & make-up: Abhijit Das; managed by Sanjukta Nathan Nusrat Jahan: Make-up: Babusona & Sourab; hair: Sima Ghosh; managed by Avishek
2. Nusrat and Yash were easy-breezy in yellow and grey. “Yellow makes me feel vibrant. I like it.... I wear a lot of it during the day,” said Yash. Nusrat too chose it as great daywear shade. (Outfits: Dev R Nil; jewellery: Amrapali Jaipur (1st Floor, Forum Courtyard Mall, 03340235011; @amrapalijewels @forumcourtyard) Styling: Sandy; pictures: Somnath Roy Yash: Hair & make-up: Abhijit Das; managed by Sanjukta Nathan Nusrat Jahan: Make-up: Babusona & Sourab; hair: Sima Ghosh; managed by Avishek
3. Yash and Nusrat were a striking pair in blue. “I have lost a lot of weight recently and I always prefer clothes that are well-fitted. I taper everything, even my tees,” said Yash. Nusrat loved the choli. “This look is both desi and contemporary,” she said. Nusrat is game for twinning and often tries it with husband Nikhil Jain. “It’s nice to twin. Very Instagramable!” she laughed. (Outfits: Dev R Nil; Jewellery: Amrapali Jaipur (1st Floor, Forum Courtyard Mall; Yash’s shoes: Rohan Arora) Styling: Sandy; pictures: Somnath Roy Yash: Hair & make-up: Abhijit Das; managed by Sanjukta Nathan Nusrat Jahan: Make-up: Babusona & Sourab; hair: Sima Ghosh; managed by Avishek