Ayesha Raza lauds Zoya Akhtar's thoughtfulness on sets of 'Dil Dhadakne Do': She made me feel truly valued'

Zoya Akhtar masterfully directed 'Dil Dhadakne Do', creating and guiding an ensemble cast comprising an array of Bollywood stars such as Anil Kapoor, Shefali Shah, Priyanka Chopra, Ranveer Singh, and Farhan Akhtar.

Renowned for her sense of responsibility as a filmmaker, Zoya drew praise from cast members for her meticulous approach and genuine empathy on set.

Ayesha Raza, who portrayed Indu in the film, and whose character famously garnered fame as "Indu Chachi" and "Dilli Ki Beyonce," recently shared her admiration for Zoya’s thoughtful working style and careful attention to each detail while filming.Ayesha Raza expresses admiration for Zoya AkhtarDuring an interview with Just Too Filmy, when asked about her biggest inspiration among directors, Raza immediately named Zoya.

She explained that Zoya makes feel like the most important person in the world, and that 'Dil Dhadakne Do' was among the first big films she worked on. At that time, she was relatively new and lacked much experience, but whenever she suggested a change, Zoya would simply say, ‘Okay, show me how you would do it.

’ Raza appreciated how Zoya allowed an actor the freedom to experiment rather than always insisting on her own ideas, which she described as remarkable and what makes Zoya so magical.

Ayesha Raza's memorable on-set moment from 'Made In Heaven'To emphasize her point, Raza shared a memorable experience from the set of the Prime Video show 'Made In Heaven'. She recalled that while shooting in a tiny flat in Nizaamuddin, she was on a treadmill eating sweets. Since she couldn’t keep eating sweets for every shot, she asked for a bin to spit into. However, there was no space for a bin, and even the assistant directors couldn’t stand there.

Zoya then took a tissue in her hand and told her to spit into that.

Raza said this is how ‘held’ an actor can feel when a director is there for them in every possible scenario during filming.Anil Kapoor’s hesitation and son’s encouragementAmong the memorable characters in the film was Kamal Mehra, portrayed by the veteran Anil Kapoor. During a SCREEN interview, he revealed his initial reluctance to take on the role of a father.

He recalled, “When she narrated the script to me, Ranveer Singh was on board then. I said, ‘Ye kya Ranveer ke baap ka role, nahi yaar.’ Because in India, you get stuck in a stereotype." Anil Kapoor credited his son, Harshvardhan Kapoor, for persuading him.

Harsh had previously encouraged him to act in Slumdog Millionaire in 2007, saying, "It’s okay, yaar, you’ve done enough of running around the trees. Do this grey character!” For 'Dil Dhadakne Do', Harsh advised him not to see it as a father’s role, but simply as an engaging character to portray.Ayesha Raza’s recent workRaza was recently seen in the film 'Aap Jaisa Koi', alongside R. Madhavan, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Sahib Chatterjee, and Karan Wahi.