Two warring mothers — who hate each other’s guts and are constant rivals — are convinced that their children deserve better life partners in life. But their kids aren’t on the same page as they fall in love with each other, despite their parental opposition, in the new romantic comedy ‘Jai Mummy Di’. As the film gears up for release in UAE cinemas on January 15, we spoke to its lead actors Sunny Singh and Sonnalli Seygall to glean the fun bits about their new film …
1.
‘Jai Mummy Di’ will take a swipe at all those hyper-protective and overbearing Indian mothers who believe they know what’s best for their grown-up children.
“‘Jai Mummy Di’ is a comic situation that arises when two mothers get overly protective of their children… Indian mothers can get a bit over-protective… I have seen one of my cousin’s mother turn up at his girlfriend’s home, asking her to stay away from her son because she didn’t approve of the girl. That was more serious, but our film is a lot funnier,” said Seygall in an interview with Gulf News tabloid!.
“The mums in this film hate each other so much that they constantly pit their children against each other in a one-up game without realising that they love each other,” she adds.
2.
Veteran actors Poonam Dhillon and Supriya Pathak play the diva mothers from hell, while Seygall and Singh play forbidden lovers Saanjh and Puneet. The young lovers were earlier seen in the hit romantic comedy series ‘Pyaar Ka Punchnamma’.
“People loved our chemistry in ‘Pyaar Ka Punchnamma 2’ and wanted to see more of us. So this film is perfect,” said Seygall.
3.
The movie is set in Delhi and inhabits the colourful world of outlandish Punjabi mothers with no sense of boundaries.
“The story revolves around these two mothers and they are the real heroes of this film. Their banter will make you laugh out loud. In Delhi, moms can be fiercely protective and they keep telling their children about what to do and what not to do… They know everything about you — who you are dating, who your friends are and director Navjot Gulati has shown all of that in a good, humorous way,” said Singh.
4.
While Sunny Singh is the son of action director Jai Singh Nijjar (‘Shivaay’, ‘Chennai Express’ and ‘Singham’), he has served his time working hard to make a place in the highly competitive world of Bollywood. He entered the public consciousness by starring in a string of films like ‘Akash Vaani’, ‘Dil To Baccha Hai Ji’, ‘Pyaar Ka Punchnamma’, ‘Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety’ and ‘Pati Patni Aur Woh’
“Also known as the guy who never gets the role,” said Singh with a laugh. But he claims he has learnt a lot from his years of struggle.
“There was a time when very few new faces got a chance to be in good films. But things have changed… I used to practice a lot in my own how. As an actor, you have to learn how to give your 100 per cent every day with consistency,” said Singh. His co-actor Seygall is a former beauty queen who has dabbled in anchoring, modelling before entering movies.
“It’s a tough to be an outside in a big city like Mumbai and to make your life here. But as long as you are focused, things can work for you… I am happy with the way things are,” said Seygall.
5.
Director Luv Ranjan — behind hits such as ‘Pyaar Ka Punchnamma 1 & 2’ and ‘Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety’ — has produced this film. Actress Seygall speaks highly of Ranjan, who was accused of sexual misconduct in 2018, and claims that he’s highly respectful towards his female talents. In October 2018, an aspiring actress claimed that Ranjan had asked her to strip to her underwear during an audition for ‘Pyaar Ka Punchnamma’ in 2010. He’s also known for his blockbusters with sexist and misogynistic undertones.
“He’s one man who’s superb to women. He’s super chivalrous and protective towards all the females around him. He has had a strong female influence in his life by the women close to him. And it’s a safe work environment. He takes our opinion seriously and he’s not someone who treats women as frivolous,” said Seygall.
The actress promises that her new film with Ranjan wouldn’t be a string of jokes on the women’s expense.
___
Don’t miss it!
‘Jai Di Mummy’ is out in the UAE on January 16. Watch the trailer below:
