Kriti Sanon on her upcoming film Luka Chuppi, playing the 'small town girl', and being an outsider

Kriti Sanon is back in the folds of a small town. The action has now shifted from Bareilly to Mathura and Gwalior. Luka Chuppi, her upcoming film, tackles the theme of live-in relationships in a small town in India in a quirky fashion. A bunch of family members who have their own hidden agendas add to the narrative. The free spirited Bitti Mishra of Bareilly is now Rashmi Trivedi, a Delhi University graduate but now based in Mathura. Does she consider the North Indian flavour as some sort of a good luck charm? “There is something about small towns that I like and they have something that’s relatable.” Though Kriti made her foray into Bollywood with the action-laced Heropanti, it was Bareilly Ki Barfi, her fourth film, which brought her true potential to the fore. The film proved to be a game changer for the former model in more ways than one. “I do consider BKB that one milestone that sort of changed things the way people looked at me. The film did break that image of an urban glamorous heroine, which I still can’t fathom how, got formed in first place. After that film, people started seeing me as someone who can also do something different. Normally when you do a de-glam role, people see beyond your looks and that did happen with BKB.” Kriti further reveals that after the success of the film, the scripts that came her way mostly based her character in a small town. “Bareilly Ki Barfi changed people’s perception of me and opened a lot more doors which would not have opened otherwise at that time.” [caption id=“attachment_4318033” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Kriti Sanon. Facebook[/caption] About Luka Chuppi, she mentions that it has been her ‘fastest film’ till date and took a mere 43 days to complete the entire schedule. So what actually prompted her to say yes to the film? “I think I am instinctive with the films I choose. I could not stop laughing when I heard the narration for the first time. It was really hilarious. The very concept of a live-in relationship in a city like Mathura seemed very fresh. I also liked the fact that, for a change, the guy was asking the girl to marry him but the girl’s response was - ’not now’. That is rare, but here the girl wanted to be sure whether she wants to marry him or not. Also in a place like Mathura, you keep a tab more on the surroundings than your love interest lest someone spot you, and because of all these quirks I found the characters fresh.” Kriti has her own take on the concept of live-in relationship and believes that its completely fine for an individual to be in such a relationship and they should never be judged. “I feel everyone has the right to marry when they feel like marrying or when they feel it’s right. If you want to see if the relationship is compatible and live-in helps, then it’s completely fine.” What about her own parents? “The kind of family I come from, I am not sure if my parents would be okay with it, but I also know that my parents have given me enough freedom to marry when I want to and who I want to and take my own time and spend time with that person. I have enough freedom to be okay with being able to be in a live-in.” She adds that she has categorically told her parents that she will never agree to an arranged marriage as she needs to be in love and know the person really well. It’s been five years since Kriti made her debut and she believes that her repertoire of films has taught her a lot. She is critical of her performances and maintains that she wants to grow with every film. “I am usually never satisfied and have been told that it’s a good trait. I have literally learnt on the job, on the sets of every film. During Heropanti, I was a baby where I was in this fascinating world and did not even know things like ‘mark’ or ‘facing’. I think Raabta helped me open up as an actor. I had a lot more to do with two characters which were both layered and complicated. It was also the first time I started prepping for my film. With BKB, I grew a lot as an actor because it was a different world, complete with different kind of actors. Working with brilliant actors makes you grow and makes you a better person,” says the actress. She also reveals that since the world was new for her, as part of her prep she took the trouble to go and stay in Lucknow and meet some local girls. The actress, after recording their conversation, ensured that she listens to it on repeat mode. Kriti is one of the few people who could find her feet in the industry despite not being a product of nepotism. Has she witnessed any changes in the five years? “The industry has definitely become a little more open and your performance and talent really matters in today’s time. Maybe it has become a little better, but to be honest it’s still very difficult for outsiders to break through in the mainstream cinema. People are welcoming new faces but it’s very difficult with fewer opportunities,” says Kriti.