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EXCLUSIVE: Nikhil Dwivedi on Shraddha Kapoor as Nagin; reveals when the film goes on floors
In an exclusive chat with Pinkvilla, Nikhil revealed how Shraddha came onboard, apprehensions if any about the subject, given that Ekta Kapoor had said that she faced difficulties to put together the folklore on the big screen and more.
Nikhil Dwivedi is currently riding high on success with his acting stint in Scam 1992 appreciated like never before. The producer started off as an actor but later took up production and has been excelling in it. Nikhil recently announced his next project which will feature Shraddha Kapoor as Nagin, the shape-shifting serpent. In an exclusive chat with Pinkvilla, Nikhil revealed how Shraddha came onboard, apprehensions if any about the subject, given that Ekta Kapoor had said that she faced difficulties to put together the folklore on the big screen and more. Over to him:
When did you first think of this subject? I remember Ekta Kapoor had mentioned she wanted to bring Nagin to the big screen but the apprehensions amongst people made her turn to the small screen.
When wonder woman released a few years back, I was like here is a woman superhero with all supernatural powers, why don’t we have an Indian superhero for a woman, borrowed from our mythology and folklore, where she has natural powers. That’s when I felt like what bigger than an Icchadhari Nagin? She has shapeshifting powers, can take any form which is the biggest superpower I believe. So the idea came to my mind at that time. But I did not have a subject and a script which could have been conceptualized and then a lot of people had reservations. Slowly though the thought came popping in my head and I found a script that could do justice to the genre. 
Was Shraddha Kapoor the original choice always?
The only person I really thought of was Shraddha because I think she is one of the few actresses we have who has this unique quality of being a girl next door and can turn into a very sensuous woman the next day if she wants to. Something very interesting that happened was when I approached Shraddha for the first time and she said that she had read about this announcement some months back and that I was making it. She told me that since childhood she wanted to do this and She hoped that we approached her for the film. But you know nobody from her team ever even dropped a hint to me about this, I approached her all on my own and there she was actually waiting that this happens. She told me that when enough time went by, she thought the role has gone to somebody else.
Apprehensions, did you have any?
No, I did not. When someone has an apprehension on the subject, I tell them a story after hearing that they are always convinced. When someone can accept a man who is bullied turning into a Spider-Man, if that makes sense to anyone then an Icchadhari Nagin should make sense too. It is just a question of how you are trying to put the story out. I don’t know why when I see it is an Icchadhari Nagin, everyone feels it is a saphera who will hit the bin but even if that happens, how does it matter? Tell me one villain from spiderman, avengers, or superman, who is real and not caricaturish? It is the belief of people and understanding that I am peddling a fantasy and if I can do that convincingly then there should be no apprehensions.
When does the movie go on the floor?
By mid Next year, I think we will start the film. I think Shraddha is about to begin her film with Ranbir Kapoor for Luv Ranjan shortly which she will wrap almost half by mid next year. Once that happens, we will start the shoot for this.
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