Working on upcoming suspense drama The Lady Killer was a “mentally and emotionally” challenging experience for actor Arjun Kapoor, so much so that he had to take a break to get out of the zone.

Directed by Ajay Bahl, The Lady Killer is an upcoming thriller which follows the whirlwind romance of small-town playboy (Arjun) and a self-destructive beauty , played by Bhumi Pednekar.

“The Lady Killer is something else. I have given a lot to that film. Mentally and emotionally, The Lady Killer has been intense and raw for Bhumi and I. It is very real in that sense as a love story. That's why I went on a holiday after that. I shot for about 45 days for that film and went away on a break. I needed to get out of that space,” Arjun said.

The 37-year-old actor is currently promoting Ek Villain Returns, which is set to be released in cinema halls on July 29. Following the premiere of the Mohit Suri directorial, he will jump back into the world of The Lady Killer to finish the last schedule of the film.

Arjun said he would want to do a light-hearted film after wrapping up The Lady Killer. He has reportedly signed Happy Bhag Jayegi director Mudassar Aziz's next, a comedy.

In the past, Arjun took a similar breather after he wrapped shooting of films like his debut feature Ishqzaade (2012) and Dibakar Banerjee's acclaimed film Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar (2021).

“After Ishqzaade, I got a break as I was young. I have always worked continuously. Perhaps I have not played a character that damaged me emotionally as much as doing Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar. It was draining because of the dialect, locations, etc. It was a heavy film in terms of prep and shoot,” the actor added.

While The Lady Killer was tough on the mind and soul, Vishal Bhardwaj's production Kuttey was physically draining. The film is a multistarrer caper-thriller and marks the directorial debut of Aasmaan Bhardwaj, son of Vishal and Rekha Bhardwaj.

“The world of Kuttey might appear dark but it is a fun heist movie. Kuttey is not a suspense dark (film). If you liked Kaminey, you will like Kuttey. It is just that we shot in the night so the visual is dark. It is a fun heist film. It was physically draining as the film is based in the monsoon period,” said Arjun.