Sumeet Vyas on Swara Bhaskar’s controversial Veere Di Wedding scene: It became bold as it was a woman

Veere Di Wedding has been quite a success at the box office. The buddy film starring Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania as four friends dealing with love and family has another record to its name -- one of the most controversial films in the year that also had Padmaavat! The actor who has been targeted the most is Swara -- if it is not her statements on Pakistan, it is *that* scene in Veere Di Wedding.

In a candid chat, Sumeet Vyas -- who plays Kareena’s fiance in the film -- holds forth on Veere Di Wedding, Swara and what made the film tick.

Swara Bhaskar’s masturbation scene in the film looked like a fun sequence but the discussion around the film has reduced it to something else. Your take?
It was essentially showing the back story of Swara’s character. She was not happy in her marriage and had no chemistry with her husband. If it was a man featured in that scene, it would have been perfectly normal and a healthy thing to do. But as it is a woman, which perhaps is a first in Indian cinema, it became a problem. What we saw was what a normal human being would do but because it was a woman, it looked like a bold move. And that is why it was treated in a humourous manner, without trying to make a ‘statement’. But invariably, it became a statement. It became a big deal.

Did you imagine the film would be a such hit?
We did not imagine it would be such a huge hit. We knew it is a fun film and hoped people would like it but we did not expect it to be such a big hit. I was also nervous because the content is so bold. At least I did not think this is going to be this big.

What made you sign the film?
I really loved the script. It was one of the rare ensemble films that was balanced in its writing. I was also excited to work with Shashanka Ghosh, Rhea Kapoor, and, of course, Kareena Kapoor. There was no way I was going to say no to this film.

You have been working in Bollywood for seven years now. How do you think the industry has changed in terms of professionalism and gender issues?
I have seen a marked difference in the way films are being made. Earlier, the payments would be delayed for six months but things have changed now. It is much more professional now. Every lightman or assistant or a star is now treated with respect. We do not judge people anymore. It is a welcome change. The more we talk about these things and appreciate the changes, the more changes will come about.

Permanent Roomates, Ribbon, High Jack and now Veere Di Wedding - you have always played the young urbane man who is woke but is also deeply rooted in terms of family. Don’t you think you are playing the same role in different situations?
I don’t think so. Ribbon was a serious film, my character was flawed and his perception of how things should work was flawed. If you consider modern, educated men as all the same, maybe (you can call my characters similar). But they are all different personalities, like in High Jack, I played a DJ.

You have a huge fan following for Mikesh - the character , when are we seeing him again on TVF?
I do not really know. We can’t do it because we can cash on the popularity of the characters. We will come up with the next season when we genuinely have a story.

What are your upcoming projects?
I have the web series, Its Not That Simple season 2 with Swara. That will be a different character, he is not the quintessential nice guy that I have been playing. He is shrewd and that’s what excited me to take up the part. Then, I am also writing the second season of Tripling, which should take off later this year.

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