I have grown up watching some of the most amazing comic performances by Arshad Warsi in franchises like Golmaal and Dhamaal, and who can ever forget the iconic character of Circuit in the Munna Bhai series. Recently, I saw his humorous side again in Bachchhan Paandey alongside Akshay Kumar, Kriti Sanon and Jacqueline Fernandez, and enjoyed it thoroughly. And now, the actor is coming up with another quirky comedy and this time, it will be double the fun.
Arshad will be seen playing a double role for the first time in his career in his next titled Jeevan Bheema Yojana, which is a quirky crime comedy helmed by Abhishek Dogra, who has previously directed Dolly Ki Doli. The film will also mark Abhishek’s debut as a producer. Meanwhile, Arshad will be seen playing the characters named Jeevan and Bheema, in which one of them is a white-collared professional, while the other is a criminal. What happens when their paths cross forms the crux of the story. The film went on floors a few days ago in Mumbai and will be shot at different locations in the city.
Talking about the film, Arshad said,
“I was cracking up every now and then during the narration. And the cherry on cake was the double role. The director has his vision and I am following that. I am playing two individuals who look the same, but have completely different personalities. The script has a good balance of humour and drama. As for the prep, the mind is a very powerful tool. Like I was Ajay Kumar in Sehar and Circuit in Munna Bhai— now imagine them in one film! It’s that simple. It has been about 10 days since we went on floors, and we’ve been having a lot of fun.”
Arshad revealed that the film also features Sanjeeda Sheikh, Pooja Chopra, Bijendra Kala and Vijay Raaz and he has been having a lot of fun with them off camera as well.
Director-Producer Abhishek added,
“Jeevan Bheema Yojana has a lot of humour packed in with some drama. Arshad is one actor who can look innocent and cunning at the same time, he’s really underrated and I have been an admirer of his work. It’s his first ever double role, with two contrasting characters. As a director when you have actors like Arshad and Vijay Raaz in the film, it makes your work easy. Their timing is impeccable.”
It’s great to see Arshad come back to the comedy genre as he is truly a master at it, and with this set up and his double role, my excitement for Jeevan Bheema Yojana has just ‘doubled up’.