The mystery behind Varun Sharma's red hair in the horror-comedy Roohi

Varun Sharma

Varun Sharma sports red hair in the upcoming horror comedy, Roohi. As the makers were keen to render a certain uniqueness to his character, it was a collective call to add a dash of colour. Now, if only they had deliberated about the title as well. Hardik Mehta's directorial venture, starring Rajkummar Rao and Janhvi Kapoor, was initially called Rooh Afza. To avoid any controversy with the makers of the summer coolant, it was changed to Roohi Afza to Roohi Afzana, and now
it's Roohi.

Like Stree, Hardik Mehta-directed Roohi too has feminist undertones. "In 2021, why would we make a film without a message? When people take the elevator after watching the film, they will discuss the laughs, the scares and the message at the end of it," states Lamba, who has previously helmed the Fukrey franchise.

Over the next five years, Vijan intends to create a Marvel-like universe, only that his world isn't dominated by superheroes but by ghosts that do more good than harm. "Soon, we'll go on floors with Munjha [prequel to Stree]. The film will explain the motivations of Shraddha's character in Stree. In January 2022, Amar Kaushik will direct the Stree sequel." The universe will include Bhediya, the monster comedy that stars Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon.

Slated to release on March 11, Roohi is the first big-ticket film to pursue a theatrical release after the pandemic. Though admittedly tempted by lucrative offers of OTT platforms, Lamba says it was movie hall-or-nothing for them. "Dinesh and I are products of theatres. Fukrey got so much love because of its run at cinemas. In a way, we owed this film to theatres." Vijan adds, "We may make less money, but I want us to take the risk."