Mouni Roy in Junoon. Brahmastra and the magic of India

As the reviews for Brahmastra started pouring in on September 9, one thing became certain Mouni Roy was the undisputed star of the movie.

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In a screening held for select journalists before the trailer of the film dropped in June, Ayan Mukerji had told the gathering that Mouni just got it’. She understood his vision and brought the massiness that was required for her role as Junoon in the film. It would be an understatement to say that Brahmastra Part One: Shiva was the most anticipated movie

in recent times. The film was already burdened with immense expectations before it was released after all, many said that this would be the movie that would revive Bollywood.

It is no secret that the Hindi film industry has been facing backlash and trolling for years now and Brahmastra was expected to shut people up. The jury is still out on whether it did that but Mouni walked away with plaudits. The actress shot to fame with the first season of Naagin which aired from November 2015 to June 2016. In seven months, Mouni Roy had become a household name and the show had shot to the top of the TRP charts. With Brahmastra Part One: Shiva, Mouni proved that she’s still got it. And to think that her role was supposed to be a special appearance! In an exclusive chat with Filmfare, the actress speaks about stepping into the shoes of Bollywood's current favourite antagonist, Junoon...

How exciting is it to step into the shoes of Maharani's Rani Bharti once again?

I was honestly shocked. I was really, really shocked and surprised. Well, both Ayan (Mukerji) and Karan (Johar) Sir had told me that I had done a good job in the film and that it would surprise the audience. But I didn't apprehend this reaction, it was rather overwhelming. We had worked on this film for such a long time, and I was waiting for Brahmastra to release for almost five years. I just feel very, very grateful, and I feel that the hard work has paid off.