Sonakshi Sinha has transitioned from a courtesan in the red-light district of pre-Independence Lahore in Heeramandi to a village girl marrying a boy from a current-day UP village that is trapped in time by a curse in Kakuda. She speaks to t2 within 12 days of signing the dotted line with long-time beau Zaheer Iqbal but with a strict condition not to broach the subject of the wedding that has been targetted on social media by vigilantes. Over to Sonakshi and Saqib Saleem who is cast opposite her in the horror comedy that started streaming on Zee5 on Friday.

Congratulations, Sonakshi. Has the wedding sunk in yet?

Sonakshi: Thank you. Yeah, it feels great and quite normal actually. I am back to work and loving it.

Did you always want a low-key wedding?

Sonakshi: Always.

Coming to the film, Kakuda is a horror comedy, right?

Sonakshi: Yes, it’s a horror comedy. It’s the first time, I have never done this genre. Very new for me.
Saqib Saleem: I have done a horror film before, which turned out to be a comedy (laughs but refuses to clarify whether the butt of his joke was his film Dobaara: See Your Evil, which had a dismal run at the box office). It’s a very exciting genre. I am a huge fan of both horror and comedy. But this is the first time I am getting to mix the genres.

Tell us about your roles in Kakuda.

Saqib: My character is Sunny. I am from a fictional village called Rataudi on which there is a curse. The curse is unless you keep a door open at 7.15pm every Tuesday, an evil spirit called Kakuda will come in and curse you. The character is a simpleton who believes in this superstition, can barely speak English and does not have much education. He falls in love with this beautiful girl called Indira from the adjacent village, which is Sonakshi’s role.
Sonakshi: Indira is a headstrong and confident girl who does not believe in the superstition. She has recently got married. When she finds herself in a situation, she fights tooth and nail to save her husband. She is both sweet and confident.
Saqib: That sounded so much like you, Sonakshi. Those traits belong to you.
Sonakshi: Oh yeah (laughs out loud). Indira is me!

Sonakshi, you signed your first film in 2009. So this is your 15th year in the industry. Rajjo in Dabangg to Indira in Kakuda, how has the journey been?

Sonakshi: It’s been fantastic. I wouldn’t change a thing. I have worked on some amazing films with some amazing people. I am still learning. Every film teaches me something. Even today, every person I have worked with teaches me something…
Saqib: Sona, what did you learn from me?
Sonakshi: From you? Masti! (laughs)
Saqib: Correct.

The director of Kakuda, Aditya Sarpotdar, has done another horror comedy, Munjya.

Sonakshi: Yes. He has done several more in Marathi.

Had you seen any of his work before agreeing to be on board?

Sonakshi: I saw a Marathi film called Zombivli, which is a zombie film. It is fun and well-made. Aditya Sarpotdar knows this genre really well and has got a hold on it. He knows how to blend horror and comedy, the right amount of chills and laughs. I have not seen Munjya yet but I am hearing so many good things about it. And I am so happy for him that the film has done so well. It is exciting to be in his film, Kakuda.
Saqib: I had seen an earlier film of his back in the day — Faster Fene (a 2017 Marathi crime thriller). I really enjoyed that film.
Sonakshi: Oh yeah, yeah. I have also seen this film.
Saqib: So I know his work. When this film came to me and I was told he was directing it, I was really happy.

What does ‘kakuda’ mean?

Sonakshi: It means hunchback. He grew it. (Laughs)
Saqib: Mujhe yeh ho gaya tha, then Aditya met me and thought iss pe toh film likh sakte hai. (laughs out loud) Nothing like that. It was mostly prosthetic. But there was also a pillow version of it which I would use when it wouldn’t be so visible.

How was the experience on the sets?

Saqib: Just fun times, hanging out together, trying to scare each other as we mostly had night shoots. We would hide behind the lift and try to scare someone. We were too lazy to plan anything more elaborate. Aasif (Khan) bhai and I would be eating Maggi at 2am. Sona had picked up on an embroidery habit and she would try to crack a new one every day. Riteish bhai had a lot of stories to tell as he comes with a lot of experience and has worked on many films before.

Sonakshi, you must still be getting feedback on Heeramandi.

Sonakshi: Yes, the compliments are still coming for both Heeramandi and Dahaad. Kakuda will be my first film on OTT. I am really enjoying my work in the OTT space. So much content is being made that is different from what we have been doing for so long. This is really exciting for an actor.

This is officially the first time you are sharing screen space but you had worked together before, right?

Sonakshi: We did a song in Race 3 that never came out.
Saqib: Sona, are you glad that the song never came out? (laughs)
Sonakshi: Yes (laughs). I am glad that this our first collaboration.

Was the song so bad?

Saqib: It’s an inside joke. We are friends outside work also.

Saqib, you play for Mumbai Heroes in Celebrity Cricket League and you played the role of Mohinder Amarnath in the film 83. What are your thoughts on India’s victory in the T20 World Cup?

Saqib: As a cricket fan I am extremely happy and proud. Ever since we won (the ICC T20 World Cup), I am spending time watching Instagram videos and crying like a baby. It means that much. The team came back and had that parade in town. I am watching Reels on that also. We got the Cup back. This is the perfect ending (to the international T20 careers) for Rohit (Sharma) and Virat (Kohli) and more importantly Rahul Dravid, who never got a World Cup in his playing career and truly deserved it.

Sonakshi, are you much of a cricket fan?

Sonakshi: No, actually I don’t watch that much cricket. But when I see the ambience and how happy everyone is, I feel proud that they were able to win the World Cup and give this feeling to so many Indians across the world.

What comes next from both of you?

Sonakshi: I have a film up for release called Nikita Roy and the Book of Darkness (directed by her brother Kussh). I am currently in talks for another film. And Heeramandi Season 2. It’s in the writing stage.

Saqib: I have just finished shooting for Citadel: Honey Bunny (with Varun Dhawan and Samantha Ruth Prabhu) and a series directed by Sudhir Mishra.