Mrunal Thakur wanted to audition for ‘Pooja Meri Jaan’ as soon as she heard the one-line pitch

Mrunal Thakur said that she wanted to audition for Pooja Meri Jaan as soon as she heard its one-line pitch. The legal drama challenges the notion that a woman’s “no means no, it does not mean try harder.”

The Sita Ramam actress said it is rare to come across characters with that kind of range.

“The film was not offered to me. I asked the filmmakers if I could do and be a part of it, I asked for an audition and shamelessly I was like, ‘Sir, you’ve to cast me. I’ve to play Pooja.’

“I found out about it via my agent who said, ‘There’s a film being made which is about two girls fighting this case where ‘no means no, it doesn’t mean try harder’. I was like, ‘I’ve to be a part of it. Can I meet?’ So, this is the second time in my life I’ve reached out to a filmmaker that was Dino (producer Dinesh Vijan). I’m just incredibly happy that he saw that faith and he saw that I can pull it off,” the actress told PTI in an interview.

Pooja Meri Jaan follows Pooja (Mrunal Thakur), a free-spirited woman who faces intense public backlash after turning down a marriage proposal from her longtime friend. He subsequently dies by suicide and leaves a note blaming her for his death. As the community holds her accountable, her lawyer friend Sana (Huma Qureshi) steps in to defend her.

Thakur recalled her conversation with a man in his 40s during her recent visit to Delhi, who thanked her for the film because it made him aware of the importance of consent.

“He said that, ‘There were so many times we didn’t realise that we were putting pressure on a girl. When one of our friends liked a girl in college and she kept saying no. We kept telling him that he should try again.

“We didn’t realise what she must be going through. So, I feel appalled. But today, I understood a woman’s perspective of what she must be going through’,” Thakur said recounting the conversation.

Thakur said all the love that the film has received has been overwhelming as an artist and she is just grateful that the producer and the director had faith in her.

“After Pooja Meri Jaan, I’ve been getting a lot of opportunities and I’m just enjoying that because it’s a lovely phase. If producers and directors are impressed by your work in a film and offer you their next, then that’s the biggest compliment. So, I’m just happy for Maddock and Navjot to see me as Pooja because it’s a very, very difficult role,” she said.

Pooja Meri Jaan also stars Vijay Raaz, Sunita Rajwar, and Vikram Singh Chauhan among others. Directed by Navjot Gulati, the film is currently streaming on ZEE5.