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Kapil Sharma will be marking his second outing in the forthcoming ‘Firangi’ which is soon to release. Monica Gill, best known for her roles in Punjabi cinema, is co-starring with Sharma in the film.

BizAsiaLive.com caught up with the actress ahead of the film’s release this week.

You made your debut in Punjabi cinema and ‘Firangi’ will be your Bollywood debut. How did the film come about for you?
Well I have tremendous management who pitched me greatly. Also, Rajiev Dhingra ji, the film’s director, is from Punjabi cinema so he knew of my debut in ‘Ambarsariya’. He also made ‘Love Punjab’ which was a massive hit last year. He tested me for my character and he liked me and that’s how it came about.

Why did you particularly choose ‘Firangi’ as your debut, assuming you would’ve had a few Bollywood offers?
I think having a director that you trust i the most important thing. Because Rajiev ji had already created a magnum opus in his debut into cinema, I knew that ‘Firangi’ was in good hands and would be something special. Plus, Kapil Sharma is a superstar in his own right. Debuting with him would guarantee a film that was a phenomenal success and I felt that the character that I was playing would give me proper credibility as an actor.

Did you find you had to prepare for the role?
Yes, the role did take a lot of prep especially in speaking the language because my first language is English and second is Punjabi. Speaking Hindi and preparing to speak Hindi took a lot of time. I don’t want to get too much into what character I’m playing as we’ve tried to keep it under wraps but getting into the skin of the character, the timeframe and also the Hindi took some prep.

The film is set in the 1920s. How did you and the team work to make it look authentic for today’s audiences?
Yes, so a small village was created. So, when you went on the set to shoot, you just got the aura. Also, the costumes and make-up and hair… the whole process puts your mind-frame there. We shot in palaces in Rajasthan and you just couldn’t help but feel that you were in the 1920s.

You mentioned Kapil Sharma and obviously, he’s known as the comedian. What was it like shooting with him?
He’s actually very serious about his work. He’s also producing the film so he took great care in making sure every small detail was looked at. He put in a lot of effort into each and every component that has made up this film. I hope that when the film releases on 24th November that he gets due credit for it. I learnt so much from him and he really brought out the performance in me.

What do you think the film’s main appeal will be to the audiences?
Obviously, the main appeal is Kapil Sharma who will be seen in a new avatar. People have only seen Kapil the comedian but this is something they will never have seen before. This is Kapil the serious actor and he is marvellous. His innocence really comes through which is something noone gets to see about how he is in real life.

As this is your Bollywood debut, should we expect a shift in focus from Punjabi cinema to Hindi cinema for you?
I am not the kind of person who would really be able to decide that. I think it’ll be where I get the most work and where I am offered interesting roles to play. Whoever gives me a good character to bring to life, I’m theirs.

BizAsiaLive.com would like to thank Monica Gill for her time. ‘Firangi’ releases on 24th November, internationally distributed by Grand Showbiz.