“I am super kicked about both Window Seat and Vikrant Rona releasing in the same month,” says Nirup Bhandari

Nirup Bhandari might have been away from the limelight for almost three years but the upcoming month of July, it would seem, will bear the fruits of all his hard labor. The actor has two films in the offing, each distinct and exciting in its own way, and to make things better, Nirup gets to not only kick things off in July but also potentially conclude the month on a high with the mighty Vikrant Rona. While he plays a crucial role in the Kiccha Sudeep starrer which has been directed by his older brother Anup Bhandari, he will be first seen in an intense avatar in Sheetal Shetty’s directorial debut Window Seat. 

The trailer of Window Seat reveals that Nirup plays a slightly ambiguous character and by the looks of it, he isn’t your run of the mill hero. There are vulnerabilities that show, along with bouts of anger and passion, but it was all part of Nirup’s conscious effort to come across different with this venture.

“I hadn’t done a thriller film post-RangiTaranga but was able to dabble with different roles – I played a college student in Rajaratha and an undercover cop in the romantic comedy Aadi Lakshmi Purana. So, I was hell-bent on wanting to do something new with my next and when Sheetal (Shetty) came to me with Window Seat, I was really drawn to the story and my character’s arc in it. That was the main factor to saying yes. And Sheetal came with a bit of experience as a filmmaker as she had a couple of short films and I was convinced that she can pull off a story of this kind,” shares Nirup Bhandari. 

And him agreeing to play a character so vibrant and intense also stems from the fact he was slowly being boxed into the “chocolate hero” archetype and it was time to intervene, he adds.

“Maybe there was something about the way people perceived me in my first two films that I was only being offered the “good boy” kind of roles and I personally wanted to do something else. Luckily, I was able to work with Sheetal Shetty and the team to develop my character and add a few new elements to it. Initially, my character in the film worked in a bank and I felt that he may not seem relatable to the audience."

"So, we decided on making him a musician instead and that allowed us to add layers subsequently – you will see that he is highly sensitive to sound and has anger issues because he doesn’t simply sit back and listen to people. I want the audience to sympathize with the character and like him from the word go and for that, we needed to make him relatable and real. Due credit to Sheetal for being graceful and taking in my perspective, and even employing it to a great extent. The film is a love story at heart with endearing romance but since it is also a murder mystery, we were able to flirt with the characters a little,” adds Nirup. 

As far as the film’s delayed release is concerned, which mainly occurred due to the pandemic, Nirup Bhandari shares that he can’t complain but be glad that he has two back-to-back releases. He adds:

“The pandemic hurt everyone, across all industries and I am not alone here. But I am very excited that I have not one but two releases in the same month and both films are quite different from one another. The break in between allowed me some time and I was able to even work on my own script in that phase”.

Does he wish to tread on the same path as his brother’s and take up direction at some point?

“Of course, I would love to direct a film one day. Thanks to my brother that I have considerable production experience which came in quite handy on the sets of Window Seat – I felt a larger sense of responsibility as the film’s lead. But I want to make up for the lost time as an actor and work on the scripts I have come across recently. Once I am through with those commitments, I can definitely think of directing a film,” asserts the actor.

Window Seat also stars Sanjana Anand, Amrutha Iyengar, Lekha, P. Ravishankar, and others. Arjun Janya's music, which has already reaped rave reviews, is expected to be the film's main highlight. Jack Manju serves as the producer.