‘Genelia Deshmukh’s a dream to work with’: ‘Gunmaaster G9’ director recalls ‘Raja Shivaji’s actress’ 24-hour hustle |
‘Gunmaaster G9’ brings Emraan Hashmi and director Aditya Datt back together after a 20-year gap. The film also features Himesh Reshammiya, reuniting the trio who delivered the iconic ‘Aashiq Banaya Aapne’ in 2005. With such a successful collaboration in the past, expectations for this project are naturally high. Genelia Deshmukh plays the female lead and is admired for her acting prowess and professionalism. Recently, Aditya Datt shared his positive experience working with her.
Aditya Datt praises Genelia Deshmukh’s professionalism
Talking to Bollywood Hungama, Aditya Datt said, “She’s a dream to work with. I guess since she’s also a producer, she understands the practicality of making a film with all the pressures, budgetary challenges, etc. put together. It, of course, goes without saying that she’s highly talented, as evident by the amount of work she’s done. However, the support system she provides on the sets is beautiful. Her commitment is on another level. I’ll tell you this one incident. I was shooting the climax and it involved a major action piece with fighters, et al. There was one date that was not officially given to us by Genelia. She had told us in advance that she had a family commitment that day. But you know how things go in shoots. I had to tell her, ‘I need that particular date’.”Datt continued, “The way she balanced work and her personal life was commendable. It was a commitment for her son’s very big soccer match in Delhi. You won’t believe this – she shot with me from 7:00 pm to 6:00 am the next day. She then straight away went to the airport, took a flight, reached Delhi by 9:30 or 10:00 am and attended her son’s match. She got free by 1:00 pm, after which she proceeded to the Delhi airport. She took the flight and landed in Mumbai by 5:30-6:00 pm. At 8:00 pm, she reported back on my set! Then, she shot until 5:00 am the next day.”Aditya further stated, “She understood that since there was so much money riding of the producer, she didn’t want to cancel the shoot that day. ‘Gunmaaster G9’ is made in a certain budget and she’s too sensitive about money being wasted. Hence, she decided to return to the sets. I wrapped her scenes as quickly as possible as I was feeling so guilty. Once she was done, I told her, ‘Please go and sleep’. I have to give it to her. It’s a gesture I have not seen in a while. This is why I have a major respect and a close bond with her.”
Genelia Deshmukh seen in ‘Raja Shivaji ’
Meanwhile, Genelia Deshmukh was recently seen in ‘Raja Shivaji’, a historical action film based on the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of the Maratha Empire. Riteish Deshmukh plays Raja Shivaji in the film and also co-wrote and directed it. Genelia co-produced the film and plays the role of Maharani Saibai. The film also features Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Vidya Balan, Fardeen Khan, and Salman Khan in important roles.
