Crossing paths with the inspiration

Mrunal Thakur with Nani

With Jersey that opens in cinemas today, Shahid Kapoor brings the story of a defeated man who revives his love for cricket, at his son's behest. Mrunal Thakur plays his wife Vidya in the drama. Call it coincidence or what you may, but Thakur - who was shooting for her next with Dulquer Salmaan in Hyderabad - recently bumped into Telugu star Nani, who fronted director Gowtam Tinnanuri's 2019 original. A source reveals, "The two met at the wrap-up party of Sita Ramum. Mrunal was excited to see Nani only days before Jersey's release. The two chatted for a while, discussing their respective experiences of shooting the sports drama and working with the director."

As much as she was impressed by Tinnanuri's powerful script, the moving rendition by the leads in the Telugu version was another factor that drew Thakur to the movie. The actor is evidently thrilled about her chance encounter with Nani, as she says, "Nani was so humble and an absolute sweetheart. He expressed his excitement to see the remake. I'm looking forward to his reaction to the movie. When I watched the original film, it was Shraddha [Srinath] and his performance that made me want to work in this [adaptation]. I'm glad I got to meet him."