Pulkit Samrat and Manjot Singh, actors in Fukrey 3, discuss the film’s most hilarious and challenging moments.
Fukrey 3 has hit theaters, bringing back the original Fukrey gang, including Pulkit Samrat as Hunny and Manjot Singh as Lalli. The two actors share their experiences filming the funniest scenes in the film, alongside co-stars Richa Chadha, Varun Sharma, and Pankaj Tripathi. The movie’s amusing trailer showcased various comical sequences, such as the boys suspended in the air over a crocodile-infested pool and campaigning during elections atop a war tank.
In a candid interview with Hindustan Times, Pulkit and Manjot reveal the challenges they encountered while shooting the mid-air torture scene and the enjoyment they had while filming on a tank. They also discuss the physical strain they endured during the filmmaking process. Here are some excerpts:
How wild is Fukrey 3 compared to the previous two successful installments? Manjot: Did you not see the crocodile in the trailer?
Share your initial reactions upon hearing the script. Pulkit: We didn’t know we were getting a script narration. It was more of a Zoom meeting during the lockdown. Then we discovered we were hearing the script of Fukrey 3. Personally, I don’t think I heard anything until the interval. I was simply thrilled that the third part was being made. I believe the new miracles, antics, and scale have become bigger and wilder. There are more colors and triple the fun, literally. But the best part is that, in the end, we all felt the soul was intact. The honesty remained, the characters’ innocence remained, and that’s what makes Fukrey a franchise that resonates with people. So we are delighted that the wait was worthwhile for us.
Manjot: The Fukrey films are significant in my career. Fukrey was my first film where I was featured on the poster. It was a big deal for me. When Fukrey was offered to me, I said yes without even reading the script because I could relate to the title. I’m from Delhi, and whenever I had a disagreement with my father, he would call me a ‘fukra.’ I thought I should definitely do a film in which I was the actual ‘fukra.’ Coming from a non-film background and from Delhi, it’s like a dream come true. I hadn’t even dreamed of it, and it came true.
Pulkit: It was a lot of fun. They were literally suspended for about 45 minutes at a stretch. They only had a 10-minute break, and it wasn’t for them to take a leisurely walk; it was just to touch the ground.
Manjot: This was because it was Varun, Panditji, and me who were suspended. I can’t describe the pain, but I was very excited about that scene from the moment I read it in the script. It was sweltering at 48 degrees, and we were suspended over a swimming pool; the required expressions came out naturally. Our skin started peeling, and we couldn’t get a touch-up. It was challenging but fun.
People may find it funny. We make sacrifices so that the audience can laugh in theaters. If they appreciate it, it’s a victory for the actors and the filmmakers.
Pulkit: This was probably the most challenging film for all of us due to the locations, weather, and logistical challenges we had to overcome. The tank sequence we filmed had a temperature of around 47 degrees. It was scorching heat in the middle of Delhi, and our skin was literally peeling off. We had to shoot again the next day, and we had to appear fresh despite filming in that heat. The result you see on screen is what makes it worthwhile. People were walking in front of tanks, shouting and cheering from their balconies in the heart of Delhi, and there was a massive tank right there on the road. Manjot will tell you how hot it was because he was sitting on it.
Manjot: My scars are still there.
What’s the funniest experience you had on set? Pulkit: We actually filmed at a water park. We would run to a roller coaster, take a spin, return with a rush of adrenaline, deliver lines while struggling to stand due to the roller coaster’s headrush, and then go on another lengthy, giant ride. It was so much fun because there were no queues, no crowds, nothing. The entire water park was ours. It was like our childhood dream come true. We went on all the rides.
Pulkit: The funniest thing to do on set for us was also the most difficult. His expressions, even when he wasn’t saying a single line, would leave us in stitches, and it became very challenging to complete a single take or even 2-3 days. We literally had 20-21 takes with him because we were laughing and couldn’t deliver our lines.
