Genelia Deshmukh: Now that he is a director, I see different side to him

Genelia with husband Riteish Deshmukh

Sometimes, we all require a nudge before we follow our heart. Genelia Deshmukh remembers being fairly certain that she wanted to be a part of Trial Period when she finished reading the script. But that nudge to follow her instinct and make her digital debut with the film came from actor-husband Riteish Deshmukh. "Riteish played a big role in my signing the project," shares the actor. "We often discuss our scripts, and are each other's bouncing boards. After I read Trial Period, the next person I gave the script to was Riteish. He has a better sense of scripts than I do. Now that he is a director, I see a totally different side to him. We both saw Trial Period as a sweet family film."

Aleya Sen's directorial venture has Genelia playing a single mother who gives in to her son's demand and brings him a father, essayed by Manav Kaul, on a 30-day trial period. One of the reasons the JioCinema offering is special to her is that her sons, Riaan and Rahyl, loved it. "My boys hardly see any of our films. But since Trial Period was an OTT release, it was a nice experience watching it at home with my family," she smiles.

A still from Trial Period

Last year, Genelia returned to the movies after a decade-long break with the Marathi blockbuster, Ved. Now, the actor is looking forward to doing more projects. To her, the medium is secondary; what matters is the story. "Having played bubbly, girl-next-door roles, now I am keen to do something darker and stronger, like Gone Girl [2014]. When I was on a break, one of the series I loved was Delhi Crime. It made me want to come back to acting because it had an amazing character [leading it], and Shefali Shah carried it on her shoulders."

Is another collaboration with Riteish on the cards, after Ved? The two are quite popular on Instagram, thanks to their quirky reels. Genelia reveals that they have been offered quite a few projects, owing to their reels. "Many [filmmakers and creators] have been offering us rom-coms, situational comedies and the chance to host our own shows. If something has to shape up, we'd be happy to be part of it."