Chhorii 2 child actor Hardika Sharma lost her teeth mid-shoot; director Vishal Furia recalls 'tweaking the script' for continuity's sake
In an exclusive interview with Indiatimes, child actor Hardika Sharma who plays Nushrratt Bharuccha¡¯s daughter in the movie and director Vishal Furia open up about Chhorii 2. While Hardika juggled school exams and horror shoots, Furia says making her act scared was tough. In fact, it was the hardest part of his horror film career.
Balancing horror shoots with school exams may seem like a daunting task, but not for 7-year-old Hardika Sharma, the child star of Chhorii 2. Indiatimes caught up with Hardika and director Vishal Furia ahead of the April 11 release of the sequel to the 2021 horror hit Chhorii. What stood out throughout the interview was the young actor¡¯s confidence, her love for science, and her impressive ability to stay calm even in a film full of supernatural fear. Hardika, who spoke to us during her exam week, shared her journey from doing print ads to working in horror films¡ªwhile her director opened up about the unusual challenge of trying to scare someone who just won¡¯t get scared.
A 7-year-old who¡¯s more into science than screams
¡°I am in Class 4 and I study in GCC International School which is in Mira Road, Mumbai. My favourite subjects are science and english,¡± Hardika said, right before diving into how she balances life as a student and an actor. ¡°At present my exams are going on and yesterday only I had a science exam. I like all the subjects but I prefer science more as it allows me to do numerous experiments.¡±
Her career began when she was just four. ¡°I was born in Gurugram, Delhi, but then we shifted to Pune because of my dad¡¯s job. Someone contacted my mom and I went for a FirstCry photoshoot after which I did some print shoots. Then someone suggested that I can go for advertisements and all.¡±
Soon after, offers started pouring in. She got her first break in Hungama 2, which prompted her family to move to Mumbai due to her hectic travel schedule. ¡°Ever since we shifted here I got more offers and Chhorii 2 was one of them.¡±
Despite being part of a horror franchise, Hardika says she's completely fearless. ¡°It was fun shooting for the movie, even though the movie is a horror movie, I did not get scared at all. I am not at all scared of ghosts,¡± she said.
From laughing at horror movies to starring in one
Hardika¡¯s fearlessness comes from early exposure. ¡°When I used to stay in my maternal grandmother¡¯s home at Faridabad, I used to watch all sorts of horror movies like The Nun, The Conjuring, and others. I used to laugh at these movies even though I was 2¨C3 years old at that time.¡±
Hardika as Ishani in Chhorii 2 | Credit: Indiatimes
In Chhorii 2, she plays Ishani, the daughter of Nushrratt Bharuccha¡¯s character Sakshi. ¡°My character¡¯s name is Ishani, which is a continuation from Part 1 where she was pregnant. Vishal sir and everyone on the sets briefed me about the character and then I understood it properly. I feel Ishani is also like me only and hence with all the help I could bring out the character to life smoothly.¡±
Hardika also shared how she strikes a balance between academics and shoots. ¡°Striking a balance between academics and work is tough but I manage it owing to the supportive friends and teachers I have who always granted me leaves and helped me with notes.¡±
The tooth troubles and the Jab We Met dream
One of the most memorable moments for her on the set involved her teeth. ¡°When we started the shoot I had teeth and then in the middle of the shoot two of my teeth were gone. Everyone used to joke around that ¡®iske toh daat nahi hai¡¯. We also had to alter the script a bit to suit the scene and my missing teeth, and surprisingly by the end of the shoot my teeth were back.¡±
A still from Chhorii 2 | Credit: Indiatimes
When asked about the kind of roles she loves, Hardika said, ¡°I like the roles which are just like me: jolly, energetic and enthusiastic. I would love to play different kinds of roles in the near future¡ But roles which are just like me are quite easier for me to put forward.¡±
And her dream role? ¡°I would like to play someone like Kareena Kapoor in Jab We Met because those are the dialogues I keep repeating and I am also someone like her.¡±
Director Vishal Furia: ¡®She just would not get scared¡¯
For director Vishal Furia, the toughest day on the set of Chhorii 2 wasn¡¯t about technical issues¡ªit was trying to make Hardika look scared.
¡°She is not scared at all, she makes everyone else scared on the sets,¡± he said. ¡°It was my most difficult day on set when I had to scare her and nothing would work. It was also my exam that day. We had to do so many takes because she just would not get scared, and then she just acted out as if she was scared and we had to somehow just manage with that.¡±
Furia, who had worked with Hardika earlier in the web series 36 Days, said working with kids is easier for him. ¡°I don¡¯t see them as kids, I see them as younger people. They have their own opinions, probably stronger than what we have, and hence I don¡¯t talk to them as kids. I talk to them as people.¡±
Ishani in Chhorii 2 | Credit: Indiatimes
On the missing teeth issue, Furia said, ¡°We added a line in the script ¡ª¡®isi liye iske saare daat toot rahe hai¡¯¡ª to suit the scene. Then we were scared about what if they grow back again soon, how would we maintain continuity?¡±
Chhorii 2: A new world of horror and legacy
While Chhorii 2 continues Sakshi¡¯s story from the first film, it introduces a brand new world. The plot follows Sakshi and her daughter living peacefully¡ªuntil Ishani is kidnapped and Sakshi must return to the village to save her. The horror intensifies as an evil cult plans to sacrifice her daughter.
Furia also shared why he cast Soha Ali Khan as the mysterious Dasi Maa. ¡°We wanted someone who is new to this genre, gives out positive energy, and has a respected name. Soha, being well-educated, literate and carrying a legacy, brings gravity to the role. It will be a treat to see her in a very desi avatar.¡±
As for what¡¯s next, Furia is finishing post-production on Maa, starring Kajol and produced by Ajay Devgan, set to release on June 27. ¡°It¡¯s a horror film again, but very different,¡± he said. A comedy project is also in the pipeline but we are still in the casting stage. As soon as the cast of the movie is decided we will announce it.
Chhorii 2 brings horror, fun, and a strong message ¡ª and with talents like Hardika and a passionate director like Vishal, it¡¯s one to watch.
For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.
Nancy Jaiswal is a journalist who started her career in reporting and has covered both hard and soft news. From serious city news developments to lighthearted lifestyle pieces, she has written on almost everything hapenning in India (except maybe alien invasions¡ªyet!). For her, writing isn¡¯t just work; it¡¯s a passion, an obsession, and sometimes the reason she forgets to reply to texts.
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