Yaariyan 2, a spiritual sequel to the 2014 film Yaariyan, and based on the romantic Malayalam drama Bangalore Days, releases in cinemas on October 20. The film stars Divya Khosla Kumar (who directed the first film) in the role of Laadli, who shares an indelible bond with her cousins, played by Meezaan Jafri and Pearl V. Puri. Tollywood actor Yash Daasguptaa makes his Bolly debut with the musical.

Last week, Divya was in Calcutta to promote the film, with Yash playing host to her in his city. t2 caught up with the two at Refinery 091 in Sector V, Salt Lake for a chat on Yaariyan 2 (which is a Durga Puja release) and more.

Divya, Yash has shown you quite a bit of Calcutta over the last two days. What has the experience been like?

Divya Khosla Kumar: I have been loving it! We went to the Kali temple (Kalighat)... the vibrations were so pure that I could really feel them. We also went to Howrah Bridge and Princep Ghat... they are so grand and beautiful....

And what have you loved about Calcutta food so far?

Divya: I have mostly had Bengali food in my hotel....
Yash Daasguptaa: She did hog some Bengali sweets. She had baked rosogolla. She was actually craving mishti doi, but then she had baked rosogolla and she loved it.
Divya: I was blown! And I am not someone with a sweet tooth, but that baked rosogolla was so tasty!

Coming to Yaariyan 2, what’s the response to the teaser been like so far?

Divya: We have already promoted the film in Mumbai and Jaipur and the response has been very positive. It’s about human relationships and that’s the beauty of the film because everyone is going to relate. It starts with the bonding between the cousins (Meezaan Jafri and Pearl V. Puri play cousins to Divya’s Laadli). Cousins, invariably, are our first best friends. But when we grow up, we make other friends and relationships and things are not the same anymore with our cousins...
Yash: Basically, you get married! (Laughs)
Divya: That’s what happens... my character marries Yash’s character and then our relationship starts. ‘Yaariyan’ means friendship and it can mean any kind of friendship.
Yash: The music of the film is its backbone and that’s what will connect a lot with the audience. After many years, a true musical film is coming out. There are eight songs in the film. Only two have been released so far and both have caught on. Every song has its unique flavour. Saanson ki mala has been my favourite so far, but I am also waiting for Sunny sunny to release.

Growing up, what role did cousins play in your lives?

Divya: I have very vivid memories of playing with my cousins... our favourite would be chhupan chhupai (hide and seek). We were a close bunch. We still have a family WhatsApp group, but once you grow up, you tend to lose the kind of connection you had as kids.
Yash: I don’t have any siblings and I don’t have any cousins either (smiles). Since my dad had a transferable job, we kept moving cities every few years. So I am glad I didn’t have to play the role of the cousin in this film! (Laughs)

How much do you relate to the characters you play?

Yash: I think I can answer this question for Divya as well. Laadli, I think, has been inspired by how Divya actually is in life. Like how she talks, how she behaves... I often saw how our directors (Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru) would tell her during a take: ‘Divya, tum jaise uss din baat kar rahi thi waisa shot chahiye.’
Divya: He’s right. It’s actually the real me on screen! (Laughs)
Yash: My character (Abhay), I feel, is like wine. As he matures in the film, the audience is going to like him even more. He has different shades and there is also a surprise element attached to him. I am pretty confident that the viewer will be invested in the Abhay-Laadli marriage and its complications and the emotions that flow with that.

Divya Khosla Kumar

I did find quite a bit of connect with Abhay. The directors also made us work really hard. We had a lot of takes — sometimes even 25-30 takes — because they wanted us to keep going on till they found perfection in every shot. So I got a lot of time to be Abhay and to understand him....
Divya: Radhika and Vinay are very tough taskmasters... sometimes we would end up shooting for 30 hours at a go! We would go on set and not know when we would pack up (laughs). We would shoot even when we were down with fever.
Yash: They never really allowed me to come out of the zone of being Abhay.

What did you learn from each other as actors?

Yash: Divya adds an element of entertainment... in a good way (smiles). She is goofy and funny. I am a very serious kind of guy and she would suddenly say something that would make everyone laugh and that would automatically lighten the atmosphere during a long day of shoot. She also donned the producer’s hat and she handled a lot of other things on set as well in a fantastic way. And while doing that, she never left her character...
Divya: Because I was the character! (Both laugh)
Yash: Women are always better multitaskers than men and Divya handles everything beautifully.
Divya: Yash is very serious and very committed, he’s a thorough professional and he’s a very good actor. I learnt a lot from him.

Divya, you directed Yaariyan. Was there never any intention to direct Yaariyan 2?

Divya: No, I just want to concentrate on acting now. I would definitely like to direct again and it’s something that gives me a lot of creative satisfaction, but that will happen in the future, not now.

When you are an actor on set, do you have to work hard to suppress your directorial instincts?

Divya: Having done both, I can easily say that direction is way tougher than acting. Being a director comes with a lot of mental pressure because you are the boss of the unit, you have to handle all departments, often simultaneously. I am happy being an actor for the moment.

What was it like working with Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru, who are known for the evocative frames they bring to their films and music videos?

Divya: They are very particular about everything. They even sat with me through my various looks for the film and out of hundreds, they chose a few. They are true perfectionists. People are talking a lot about how I am looking in the film. A lot of hard work has gone in... I mean I am pretty (laughs), but a lot of effort has been put into the costumes and hairstyling. They have shot me so beautifully and I am eternally grateful to them.

They had also directed me in (the music video) Yaad piya ki aane lagi and that was done very well. But I truly believe that Yaariyan 2 is their best work to date. The film is very strong when it comes to emotions, but it is also a lot of fun.

Yash, Yaariyan 2 is a Durga Puja release and that must make it even more special for you...

Yash: Yes, and I am really looking forward to that. I am happy that we are releasing at a time when movies are doing so well in theatres... we have huge blockbusters happening in theatres almost every week. The lull that Hindi films faced in theatres was also something that plagued Bengali cinema because nothing was working in between. We are hopeful that a lot of love will be shown to Yaariyan 2.

Yash, are you looking at Yaariyan 2 as a major stepping stone to Bollywood?

Yash: I don’t really know... I just believe in the journey. One always hears of nepotism in Bollywood, but with T-Series, it was a very smooth ride for me when it came to my selection. I hope that this film opens a lot of avenues for me... aur producer toh saath mein hi baithi hain! (Laughs)