Actress Sanjeeda Shaikh has revealed that she was “fooled” into taking on action sequences in Dhamaal 4, joking that while Ajay Devgn was present on set, she ended up doing much of the film’s action, states India Times.
Speaking to Hindustan Times, Sanjeeda opened up about her experience of working on the comedy franchise and sharing screen space with veterans such as Ajay Devgn, Riteish Deshmukh and Arshad Warsi.
Before Dhamaal 4, Sanjeeda was primarily associated with more serious roles, particularly after her appearance in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s period drama Heeramandi.
She revealed that director Indra Kumar approached her after watching the series and initially described her as a “very serious actress”.
“I sat with him, and I think he heard me laughing and I laugh like a man, so he said, ‘Okay, this is fine,’” Sanjeeda recalled, adding that she was subsequently cast in the film.
The actress said she was eager to prove that she could handle comedy and make her presence felt in an established franchise.
Working alongside established comedy stars also pushed Sanjeeda to raise her game.
“You are working and sharing the screen with Ajay sir, Arshad, Riteish; those people whose comic timing is such that they elevate the scene even without speaking. So, you have to up your game,” she said.
However, she soon discovered that her role involved considerably more physical action than she had expected.
“In all my scenes, if you’ve seen, there is action involved. Toh mujhe actually ullu banaya gaya, mujhe bola gaya tha ki comedy karni hai lekin mujhe action karwaya,” she said.
She jokingly added that the situation became a running gag on the sets.
“Main sach se boloongi. Ajay Devgn set pe hain aur mujhse saare action sequences karwaye ja rahe hain. It had just become a joke on set,” she said.
Directed by Indra Kumar, Dhamaal 4 brings back franchise regulars Ajay Devgn, Riteish Deshmukh, Arshad Warsi and Jaaved Jaaferi.
The film also features Ravi Kishan, Sanjay Mishra, Upendra Limaye, Anjali Anand and Esha Gupta, among others.
Sanjeeda said being part of such an established franchise came with its own pressure, as she wanted to ensure her character did not feel out of place alongside the series’ popular characters.
