Janhvi Kapoor reveals filming Mili hurt her mental health, gave her nightmares: ‘I fell ill, was on painkillers’

Actor Janhvi Kapoor is all set for her first survival thriller, Mili releasing this Friday. Ahead of the film’s release, she recounted how the month-long film shoot affected her physical and mental health. In the film, she plays a girl who gets trapped inside a storage freezer for hours. Also read: Mili trailer: Janhvi Kapoor is stuck in a freezer with no way out

Directed by Mathukutty Xavier, Mili is the Hindi remake of the filmmaker’s 2019 Malayalam hit Helen. Said to be based on true events, the film traces the struggles of Janhvi as Mili, who races against time to stay alive inside a freezer. According to the actor, a special freezer was built by the film’s team, where they shot for 20 days at minus 15 degrees Celsius temperature.

Recalling her experience at a press conference in Delhi, Janhvi said, “I remember it (film) taking a genuine toll on my mental health because I would come back home after wrapping up shoot and I would go to sleep and dream that I was still in the freezer. I fell ill and I was on severe painkillers for two-three days and even the director was unwell.”

“If you spend 15 hours of your day in a freezer in a closed environment crying for the majority of the day, sometimes with a rat that keeps nibbling your fingers, it is not glamorous for sure,” Janhvi added. She also said that she was asked to gain 7.5kg for the film, as per the director to look more relatable to the audience.

Besides Janhvi, Mili also features Sunny Kaushal and Manoj Pahwa in key roles. It is Janhvi’s first professional collaboration with her father Boney Kapoor, who is backing the film. The film will hit theatre screens on November 4, 2022. A Mili, Janhvi will also be seen next in Bawaal and Mr and Mrs Mahi.

(With inputs from PTI)