After wrapping up Toofaan, Mrunal Thakur to prep for her next, Pippa

Mrunal Thakur

Just having wrapped up Toofaan, Mrunal Thakur has travelled back in time to 1971 to prep for her next, Pippa. The Raja Krishna Menon-directed war drama, also starring Ishaan Khatter and Priyanshu Painyuli, is expected to go on floors soon, and attaining the physique is key for Thakur. A source from the film's production reveals, "Mrunal will sport a lean look, for which she has adopted a rigorous training schedule. She has been doing mixed martial arts since her Toofaan days, which is helping her gain strength and build up endurance."

Pippa is a screen adaptation of Brigadier Balram Singh Mehta's book, The Burning Chafees, which refers to the Chaffee tanks of the Pakistan Army that were destroyed by the Indian squadron in the battle. Set against the backdrop of the Battle of Garibpur in Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) in November 1971, the film borrows its title from the war tanks PT-76, otherwise called Pippa.

Ishaan Khatter

Thakur plays the younger sister to Khatter, who steps into the shoes of Brigadier Mehta of the 45th cavalry tank squadron. She is doing extensive reading as part of her prep. "Mrunal has read a few articles, including Genocide by The Daily Star which focuses on the Bangladesh genocide in the 1971 war. Her father has recommended the 1971 film, Jay Bangladesh, directed by IS Johar," says the source, adding that the idea is to fully understand the Indo-Pakistan dynamics of 1971 before reporting to the shoot.

The team recently had their first round of script reading. For her final step, Thakur intends to track down women freedom fighters from 1971. "Their experiences will help Mrunal in lending authenticity to her character. She is in talks with a few of them. Though the pandemic has put the plans on hold, she is looking forward to meeting them and hearing their stories."