Delightful as he is in the comic roles in Stree (2018), Luka Chuppi (2019) or Hum Do Hamare Do (2021), Aparshakti Khurana felt the need for a change of pace. Which is why when director Kookie Gulati’s Dhokha Round D Corner came his way, the actor lapped it up. The suspense thriller, also starring R Madhavan, Darshan Kumar and Khushalii Kumar, sees how a couple’s life changes in a day when a terrorist breaks into their home. “With Dhokha, I am attempting a different genre for the first time. I was trying to do something apart from comedy for a while, but only Kookie and Bhushan Kumar [producer] showed confidence in me,” says Khurana, who essays the role of a Kashmiri terrorist.

While the film has its share of twists and turns, the actor says it is a psychological thriller at its core, studying the dark side of human relationships. “It [offers] a different take on human relationships and its [complexities]. The theme and treatment is slightly grungy and grey.” Playing a character so far removed from his comfort zone meant that he had to prep thoroughly before reporting to the set. He says, “I hired a coach and worked extensively on learning the Kashmiri language. I also had to drop a few kilos to achieve a lean look, and cut my hair short for the character.”