Gujarati actor Deeksha Joshi on being part of the Ranveer Singh film Jayeshbhai Jordaar

Actor Deeksha Joshi, who made her Hindi film debut with Jayeshbhai Jordaar, confesses fangirling in the initial days of filming. “On the first day, there were Ratna [Pathak Shah] ma’am and Boman [Irani] sir. These are people I have grown up watching films of. They are beyond brilliant…and then when I met Ranveer [Singh], I thought I might faint. It was just too much to take!” says the actor barely managing to keep the excitement out of her voice. She essays the role of Jayesh’s [Ranveer Singh] sister. 

The Uttarakhand native started her career in Gujarati films. and the feedback from her peers in Gujarat has been great. “We had a premiere in Ahmedabad and everybody liked the film. If they did not, they would have left mid-way,” says the Ahmedabad-based actor.

Among her Gujarati films are Karsandas Pay and Use, Sharato Lagu and Dhunki. Jayeshbhai… too has a Gujarati connect — writer-director Divyang Thakkar. He asked her to give the YRF auditions a shot.

“I had auditioned for Jayesh’s wife Mudra’s [Shalini Pandey] role, but when I saw how Divyang was, I wanted to be directed by him, any role would be okay. I just wanted to be part of the project,” she says. So, when he called a few days later offering Preethi’s role she accepted. Ratna Pathak Shah and Boman Irani essay the parents of Jayesh and Preethi.

“There is something off about the siblings, they are quirky and spunky,” she says of the characters of Preethi and Jayesh. “Ranveer is very friendly, it didn’t feel like I was meeting him for the first time. I learnt, learnt and learnt on set. The processes of each of the actors are so different. But when I would be in a scene with any of these actors there would be no baggage in their presence.” 

Deeksha has been in theatre since she was “in the second or third grade. I always knew I wanted to be in the performing arts.” She holds a Visharad degree in Hindustani classical music and a post-graduate degree in English Literature, which she intends to follow up with a doctorate. 

Jayeshbhai Jordaar was due for release during Diwali 2020 and it has been a long wait since filming was wrapped up in February 2020. She says she didn’t think too much about it nor did she let herself get bogged down. Next up are a handful of Gujarati releases and a Hindi project.