Sai Pallavi and Junaid Khan Get Candid About Their Film Ek Din
In a recent promotional video, actors Sai Pallavi and Junaid Khan opened up about their upcoming film Ek Din, offering fans a rare glimpse into its creation. From early scripting days to personal doubts and the challenges of stardom, the duo shared heartfelt anecdotes about the journey.
The Beginning of Ek Din
Recalling how the film started, Junaid Khan said, "I remember when we were scripting this in January 2023. We just finished scripting, and Sunil and I were going to go to Japan for 10 days." Sai Pallavi added, "I remember the first recce we had hired nobody. There was just Mansour, papa's Nihas Pandan, Sunil, and me... there was nobody else."
Junaid continued, "Just before we were supposed to go for two weeks, we were discussing casting, and he was like, 'Sai Pallavi... this is her film, she's not going to do this, she's doing so many big films in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi.'"
Why Sai Pallavi Chose the Film
Explaining her decision, Sai Pallavi said, "It's not about the scale of a film that drives me. At that point in life, I had done a lot of films which were quite heavy, and I wanted to do something light that didn't have me carry a lot of trauma." She added, "When the script came along, I thought this is going to be in the zone of Before Sunrise. I love Aamir sir... he diversified his whole creative sector... so I thought this would be a different experience."
Self-Doubt and Language Struggles
Despite her excitement, Sai Pallavi admitted to feeling unsure. "I was very scared... I think I'm a little extra serious... and I thought I was a miscast." Junaid immediately disagreed, saying, "You are absolutely wrong. When I watched the movie, I was just quiet for a while, and you were so good."
Sai Pallavi recalled, "I said, 'I don't think I was meant to do this. I think I'm a miscast.' And he's like, 'What are you saying? You are so wrong.' I don't know... I feel someone else was meant to do this." Junaid stood firm: "Not a chance. I saw the film with only dialogue track, no background score, and you were just spectacular."
On performance, Junaid praised her, "I don't think I've seen somebody play drunk so well, and you don't drink." Sai Pallavi admitted, "I was dreading it... I don't know how to play drunk. Sometimes you overdo it or don't hit the mark."
She also opened up about speaking Hindi on screen for the first time. "They kept saying you speak Hindi the way you do... I said I would like to dub. They said, 'Dub? We're doing live sound.' That shook my world." She added, "The first time I speak Hindi in a movie and you're doing live sound... it's a lot of pressure... but they said it sounded adorable, so I went with it."
Junaid Khan on Learning Filmmaking and Theatre
Junaid shared his journey, saying, "My first job on a film set was as an AD. I was 19... it was one of the last films shot on 35mm, so I learned the brick and mortar process of filmmaking." He added, "I really enjoy stage... I've spent a lot of time there."
Shooting in Japan and On-Set Moments
The duo also spoke about filming in Japan. Sai Pallavi said, "I can't risk my knees... I'm a dancer... but this time it was for the movie... I really liked the snow." Junaid recalled, "We had like 20 people on skis... none of them knew how to ski. I would take the lift up and ski down."
They shared a candid moment from a scene. Junaid said, "You actually fell asleep... it was so natural... but we couldn't use it because it looked like a mistake." Sai Pallavi laughed, "Between takes I would just sleep and then wake up for the shot."
On Being Aamir Khan's Son
Opening up about identity, Junaid addressed being Aamir Khan's son. "The shadow of being Aamir Khan's son — you're never going to outgrow." He explained, "It's neither positive nor negative... he's been a movie star for 35 years. I'm not competing with that anytime soon. It will take me a lifetime." He added, "For the foreseeable future, no matter how well I do, I will be Aamir Khan only."
A Confident Conclusion
Despite her earlier doubts, Sai Pallavi ended on a confident note. "I think I had a lot of fun making this film... I think I was meant to do this film... I think I'm exactly where I should be."
