After doing some thoroughly entertaining movies, Juhi Chawla and Anil Kapoor are all set to reunite on the big screen after more than a decade with Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga which hits theatres on February 1. The movie, which also features Sonam K Ahuja and Rajkummar Rao, will see the father-daughter duo, Anil and Sonam, sharing screen space for the first time. 

Juhi is extremely excited about this film since she got to work with Anil and also some fine actors like Rajkummar and Sonam. Besides sharing her experiences, Juhi explains why this movie is a must watch. Excerpts:

- How was your experience of working with Anil Kapoor after such a long time?
It was obviously great working with Anilji all over again, but the icing on the cake was working with him and Sonam together. They were working together for the very first time and fortunately, I was working with them, so it was extremely exciting for me. 

- And talented youngsters such as Rajkummar and Sonam?
Working with Rajkummar Rao was again a great experience. I had only seen his films, he is a great actor and it was fun working with him. He is bit of a quiet person and mostly on his phone. On the hand, Sonam was very chatty. Every time we got some time to spend together, she used to ask me about Anilji, ‘How was daddy back in those days?’, ‘Was daddy the same?’  etc. So I had a great time and also learnt so much from the young, fresh and talented actors. 

I learnt something from Sonam and it is very interesting. She is someone who does her homework before she starts her film. She told me that she has multiple meetings and even grills the director and after all the research, she begins her work, which I think is great.

- You have worked with Anil Kapoor earlier and now you are working with him again. Do you think anything has changed?
Anilji is the same, in fact, more at ease with himself. That said, he has always been a hardworking and committed person. During our first schedule in Patiala, we had some night shoots. So after a whole night of shoot, I used to wake up a little late and then would go out to get some sunlight because it was winter. Anilji, on the other hand, would be on his bicycle with his trainer, working out and then jumping, skipping. He has a crazy workout session every day. 

- What was the reason behind giving your character a name like Chatro? What is her character like?
Oh, you have no idea how badly I wanted my director to change my name. I asked him to change it to Dolly or Sweety, but he just decided to stick to Chatro. Chatro is a Punjabi lady who is a caterer to a small theatre production company and she has a secret desire to get a role and perform on the stage one day. 

- The movie sheds light on the LGBTQ community, and the last time you worked on such a movie was My Brother Nikhil. Do you think such movies can help change the mindset towards the community?
The film is about many little things, it’s about families like yours and mine and then within it, there is a small surprise. It’s a very unfamiliar story told in a familiar manner. It’s got all the emotions that we know and enjoy. It basically has everything you know, yet something beyond.  

- The song Ek Ladki Ko Dekha... has been re-created for the movie. Which one do you like — the old or the new?
I absolutely love the new track because even though it’s been rehashed, it’s still so deep and beautiful unlike other remixes. The originality, along with the essence of the song, has been kept intact. 

- Any plans to work on the digital platform?
Oh definitely. I would love to work on the online platform, very recently one episodic project came to me, but episodic shows are stressful, so I let go of it because it is a huge commitment. 

But I am definitely open to working on the online platform in the future.