Saanand Verma plays the role of a pimp in Madhur Bhandarkar’s India Lockdown

Saanand Verma of Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai! fame is excited to have got the opportunity with National Award winning director Madhur Bhandarkar in India Lockdown. He plays the role of a pimp in this film that reveals the plight of the sex workers amid the pandemic. Shweta Basu Prasad is also a part of the project, which is reportedly ready to release.

“India Lockdown has four different stories with the first lockdown at the backdrop. One of the stories depicts the problems that the sex workers faced during that time. Their business was shut down like everything else. My character Tipu, a pimp, is quite sensational, and nobody has seen me in that look till now. The movie is mind-blowing as I have seen the cut. Madhur Ji has done a wonderful job with this project. He is an amazing director, a great human being and has a mind-blowing sense of humour,” he says.

While talking about whether slipping into the role was easy or difficult, Saanand Verma shares that Tipu is a different kind of character. “I am a person who has learned everything from life. I started working when I was eight and hence have much experience, good, bad and worse. I followed and observed many such characters in films. Madhur sir went to Kamathipura. Shweta also went there. She is playing the lead sex worker in the story. I have covered certain issues around sex workers when I was in Delhi. So I have a wide know-how about them,” he adds.

India Lockdown is an anthology that also sees Prateik Babbar who plays the role of a labourer, and goes back from the city to his village. There is another story of old men being stuck at home, Prakash Belawadi plays one such character.

So will this film have a theatrical or OTT release? “Madhur sir told me that the film has been purchased by Jayantilal Gada. I am not sure whether it will come on OTT or in theatres,” he ends.