New Delhi [India]: Indian-American actress Poorna Jagannathan fondly remembers Ranbir Kapoor as “generous” when she reflects on her experience working with him in the 2013 film ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’.
Poorna played Riana Sarai, a tour conductor who helps Ranbir’s character, Bunny, land his dream job. More than a decade later, she still cherishes the bond she formed with him during the shoot.
Ranbir Kapoor’s Role in Supporting ‘Nirbhaya’
In a recent interview with media, Poorna recalled how Ranbir played a crucial role in helping her produce her play ‘Nirbhaya’, which tackled issues of gender-based violence.
“I loved working with Ayan (Mukerji) and Ranbir. It was such a privilege. It was such a gift…Right after I did ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani,’ I went and produced my own play called Nirbhaya. And Ranbir was its first investor. He was the first one who gave me money to get this play kicked off. And we toured that, we ended up touring that play globally for three years,” Poorna shared.
She further emphasized how special the film was for her:
“‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’ was an important movie for me to be part of because of my friendship with Ranbir and his generosity, my friendship with Ayan. It had a significant impact on my life. It was an iconic movie.”
Success of ‘Deli Boys’ and Representation of South Asian Culture
Poorna is currently receiving praise for her role in ‘Deli Boys’, a comedy series about two Pakistani-American brothers (played by Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh) who inherit their father’s illegal empire after his sudden death.
Discussing the experience of working on the series, she shared:
“The script is really funny on paper, and then when you shoot it, it’s even funnier. So we had a really hard time making it because you have a certain amount of shooting time in a day and we always go over because we were laughing in between takes …it’s so funny that we would all lose it between scenes.”
She also expressed pride in being part of a show led by South Asian actors, emphasizing the importance of authentic storytelling.
“I’m very much committed to telling our specific stories to a universal audience. So I’m super, super proud to have been part of ‘Deli Boys’…it is what I’ve always dreamed of—to be an actor and to be able to show different aspects of ourselves…the elements of the immigrant experience, loyalty, strong South Asian family bonds, the way we eat, the way we speak Urdu, Hindi, and mix languages effortlessly.“
Where to Watch ‘Deli Boys’
Produced by Onyx Collective and 20th Television, ‘Deli Boys’ is currently streaming on JioHotstar.