Exclusive! Jersey Star Abhishek Madrecha: Shahid Kapoor Is So Warm And Humble As A Person

Abhishek Madrecha On Preparation For His Role In Jersey

When asked about the preparation for his role in Jersey, Abhishek Madrecha said, "The prep for Jersey was quite a ride. In order to fit and justify the part the role demanded a certain level of physical fitness. Cricket being core to the film, all of us had subscribed to rigorous training sessions that went on for about two months before the filming. Being a cricket enthusiast surely helped, but there was so much more we learnt once we all padded up and hit the field. We had to master shots such as cover drive, square cut, Straight drive and pull shot which were some of the core focus areas during our training. All credit goes to our team of amazing instructors including Oninder Singh Gill, Rajeev and Harshul who equally sweat it out with us to ensure we get it right."

"So all in all, it was a lot of hard work and sweat put in by the entire team to make this happen. After undergoing the prep, I truly have immense respect for all sportspeople who commit their lives to training and work so hard every single day," he added.

Working Experience With Shahid Kapoor, Pankaj Kapur And Mrunal Thakur

Abhishek Madrecha praised Shahid Kapoor, Mrunal Thakur and Pankaj Kapur for their performances and behaviour towards him. The actor said that he had a wonderful experience working with Shahid, Mrunal and Pankaj. He said, "Being on the same set as actors like Shahid Kapoor, Pankaj sir and Mrunal was a wonderful experience. It was nothing less than a dream team. Shahid is so warm and humble as a person. I remember when I first met him, he was very welcoming and sweet which instantly settled all the nerves I had before my first scene with him. As a viewer, I have been in awe of some of his work across Udta Punjab, Jab We Met, Haider and Kaminey to name a few, and to be in such close proximity of the star I've always admired was beyond magical. Pankaj sir is a true legend. He was so encouraging on set that before any shot, all he would say is 'just go for it' and it's great to have such stalwarts motivate you. Coming to Mrunal, although I only had a few scenes with her, she has a great vibe and energy. She's always smiling and extremely talented as an actor. I consider myself extremely fortunate and blessed to have had such amazing people and actors around."

What Abhishek Madrecha Learnt From Gowtam Tinnanuri?

Abhishek Madrecha also said that he has learned many things from director Gowtam Tinnanuri. "Gowtam Sir is as cool as a cucumber. Despite all the chaos and running around on set, his calming aura just made you feel that everything is under control. I consider it an honour to have worked with him. He was such a guide and his brief really helped me get into the skin of my character," the actor added.

Fun Memories From The Sets Of Jersey

While concluding the chat with us, Abhishek Madrecha shared some fun moments from the sets of Jersey. He said, "There was a scene where we had to pop open soda bottles and celebrate our win. I remember the countless retakes we did because the bottles wouldn't open on action and the eventually did when the Director announced cut and all of us had soda stains all over our Jerseys. It was quite hilarious. So many times during the match sequences, I would blurt out well done Shahid instead of his character name Arjun and it would trigger an instant laughter. So many times, the cricket ball wouldn't hit us as it's supposed to and I even got hit with the ball once on my chest. But as they say, no pain no gain (chuckles)."