Ishq Vishk Rebound Director Says Pashmina Roshan's Role Was 'Toughest' to Cast; Know Why | Exclusive

Ishq Vishk Rebound is set to release this weekend. It marks the second film in the Ishq Vishk franchise and features four fresh faces — Pashmina Roshan, Jibraan Khan, Rohit Suresh Saraf and Naila Grrewal. The casting look interesting but director Nipun Dharmadhikari told News18 Showsha exclusively that the toughest character to cast in the film was of Samiya, which was eventually played by Pashmina Roshan.

Hrithik Roshan’s cousin Pashmina is making her acting debut in the film. At the trailer launch, producer Ramesh Taurani had revealed she had auditioned for the role and had not revealed her background until her family name popped up when she was signing the contract. In an interview with us, Dharmadhikari said that though the role was tough to cast, when he found Pashmina, he knew she was a perfect fit.

“Pashmina was my only choice to play Samiya, nobody else came close. In that list of shortlisted names, there was only one name when it came to Samiya,” the filmmaker said. “I think Pashmina’s character was the toughest to cast, she plays a different character. Once you see the film you will understand. Her character walks a very thin line. But I think she got it absolutely right in her audition. Pashmina herself has a very enduring quality and that worked in her favour, especially when it came to casting Samiya.”

Dharmadhikari revealed he did meet a lot of people during the audition stage. “I did meet 15 to 20 people for each role, which is 40 to 50 people,” he recalled.

The cast of the film has already become popular among the young generation, thus giving a hope that the film could record a good opening. Ask him if he feels a sense of box office pressure, Dharmadhikari admitted he does feel it.

“I think any director would be lying (if they say they didn’t feel the pressure) especially during the first film. It is also about the number of people who come to watch the film which translates into money, yes, but it is also about how many people have liked your work and how many people have actually come to see your work. I do feel that pressure but at the same time, I know for a fact that the whole team have strived hard to make an honest and good film,” he said.

Although Ishq Vishk Rebound marks Dharmadhikari’s first film in Bollywood, the director has been active in Marathi film industry for many years. After starring in the 2009 Marathi film Harishchandrachi Factory, he directed Marathi movies such as Baapjanma (2017), Dhappa (2018) and Me Vasantrao (2022).

Ishq Vishk Rebound releases on June 21.