Theatre will always be my first choice

The usually shy Junaid Khan has pulled out all the stops in his latest, Loveyapa. The film, a quirky rom-com on how Gen Z navigates love and relationships in the time of social media, also stars Khushi Kapoor.

The actor reveals that the film’s script reading was the first time he had ever met Khushi. He recalled that their introverted natures had the director Advait Chandan worried. “The first scene he made us shoot was where Khushi had to scream at me. Believe me, she has this remarkable ability to switch on. She simply transformed once the camera rolled, and that was so admirable.”

Junaid, known for his boy-next-door image, says he doesn’t feel the need to curate a perception about himself. “I’d rather my work speak for itself.” A theatre enthusiast, Junaid reveals films were incidental. “My parents have always encouraged us to do our own thing and follow our own path. They are there for support when we need them. I always ask Papa (Aamir Khan) for advice, and he gives his suggestions, but in the end tells me to do what my heart deems right. That’s something I have always done,” says Junaid.

But if given a choice between theatre and films, he says it would always be theatre. “It’s my first love. It's a platform which gives you scope to constantly evolve. No one performance is ever the same, the stage is always alive and every play is work in progress.”

Junaid will be next seen in Ek Din produced by Aamir Khan, opposite Sai Pallavi, whom he describes as an amazing actor. “She has this exuberant infectious energy about her,” he says.