Here's why Nushrratt Bharuccha thought Hansal Mehta will never cast her in his films

Actress Nushrratt Bharuccha felt filmmaker Hansal Mehta would never cast her because she thought her acting was not up to his expectations.

So, she was pleasantly surprised when he decided to cast her in his upcoming film, 'Chhalaang'.

"I never thought Hansal Mehta would cast me in his film because I kept thinking I couldn`t perform to his level and expectations. I was waiting for the moment when I will perform to the level that I will be able to work with him," Nushrratt said.

"When `Chhalaang` happened I was on cloud nine. I felt validated. It was a dream come true and I couldn`t have asked for a better team than this. `Chhalaang` has become extra special to me because my impossible dream came to live and I lived it with my whole heart," she added.

'Chhalaang' is pitched as a hilarious yet inspirational journey of a PT master in a semi government-funded school in North India. The film narrates the story of a PT Master Montu (played by Rajkummar Rao), and addresses the importance of sports education in the school curriculum, in a light vein. Nushrratt will be seen as a computer teacher in the film.

Earlier, while speaking about 'Chhalaang', actor Rajkummar Rao, who portrays the role of a PT teacher who initially doesn`t take sports too seriously, said, "I was into sports. I did my schooling in Haryana, so I could relate to it. The PT teacher`s accent... there is a lot of nostalgia and fun."

"Audiences want to see real characters. That`s why new generation writers and filmmakers are making films about real people and cultures. You must have seen a guy like Montu (his character in the film) in real life. There is a demand for such stories," he added.

Through the film, he hopes people understand the importance of physical training.

"School has many opportunities. Education is important, but physical fitness is also important, especially in today`s time," said the actor.

'Chhalaang' reunites Rajkummar with director Hansal Mehta. "It is such a pleasure to work with Hansal sir. It is truly special. Our first meeting was in 2011 and there was an instant connection. Since then we have been working together. I adore him," said Rajkummar.

"Working with Hansal sir in this film was different. It is not one of the serious dramas. Hansal sir understands humour well," added the actor, who has delivered heavy-duty performances in Hansal Mehta directorial such as "Shahid", "CityLights", and "Aligarh".

'Chhalaang' is slated to stream on Amazon Prime Video from November 13.