Mrunal Thakur’s ‘Pippa’ prep!

While MrunalThakur is gearing for the release of #Toofaan alongside #FarhanAkhtar, she travels back in time to 1971 to prep for her next, #Pippa directed by #RajaKrishnaMenon. Set against the backdrop of the Battle of Garibpur in Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) in November 1971, Pippa is a screen adaptation of Brigadier Balram Singh Mehta’s book, The Burning Chafees.

Mrunal will sport a lean look for the role, for which she has adopted a rigorous training schedule. She has been doing mixed martial arts since her Toofaan days, which is helping her gain strength and build up endurance.

Apart from physical activities, Thakur who plays the younger sister to her co-stars Ishaan Khatter and Priyanshu Painyuli, has been doing extensive reading as part of her prep.

“Mrunal has read a few articles, including Genocide by The Daily Star which focuses on the Bangladesh genocide in the 1971 war. Her father has recommended the 1971 film, Jay Bangladesh, directed by IS Johar,” says a source, adding that the idea is to fully understand the Indo-Pakistan dynamics of 1971 before reporting to the shoot.

For her final step, Thakur intends to track down women freedom fighters from 1971. “Their experiences will help her in lending authenticity to her character. Though the pandemic has put the plans on hold, she is looking forward to meeting them and hearing their stories”, adds the source.