Stories, and love stories

Irrfan Khan

For years, Medha Rana manifested the dream that she is now living. Having constantly hoped to see her name attached to a Netflix offering, she finds herself rubbing shoulders with Babil Khan in the streamer's latest Hindi film, Friday Night Plan. "With this release, I feel more pumped to push myself and give it my all," says Rana, who plays an ambitious yet confused teenager in the coming-of-age film.

Rana found the ideal co-star in Khan, who not only helped her enhance her craft but also displayed compassion. "He is an incredible actor, and an even better human being. As a co-actor, he was accommodating and easy to work with. He has a vibrant and positive energy, and has the ability to make people feel comfortable, heard, and loved. These are incredible qualities," she says, adding that the duo also bonded over their admiration for Khan's father, late actor Irrfan, whose National Award-winning film, Pan Singh Tomar, became a Bible of sorts for them.

"I am grateful to Babil for making me watch it. He told me so many stories about how the film was made, and how his father got into the skin of this character." Rana, who made her acting debut last year with the Arjun Rampal-led investigative thriller series London Files, took inspiration from Deepika Padukone and Anushka Sharma when transitioning from her career in modelling to acting.