Pooja Meri Jaan is now streaming on ZEE5, and actor Nikhil Angrishh says its courtroom turns matter as much as the central drama. Known to OTT audiences from Paatal Lok Season 2, IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack and Gaanth: Chapter 1, he steps into the role of Mayank Joshi in the Maddock Films title led by Mrunal Thakur and Huma Qureshi.
A ‘no’ is a no, on and off screen
In an exclusive conversation with Filmibeat, Angrishh placed rejection at the centre of the story. He describes the film as a drama built around a lover’s brutal rejection and the fatal response that follows. But the larger takeaway, he argues, is about consent itself.
Pooja Meri Jaan, I think, at the very core of it deals with rejection—and our response to it.
That leads to what he calls a crucial message: “a no means a no-irrespective of the gender.” Society, he adds, still has to mature into that idea.
The courtroom and the social media mirror
Angrishh’s role as Mayank is brief, but it sits inside the film’s courtroom narrative. His testimony reveals aspects of Pooja’s past and gives viewers another lens on the events around her. For the actor, that structure lets the film question how quickly public opinion hardens in the social media age.
He describes it as a “social media trial” and an “impulsive response” to whatever is put in front of us—a mirror the filmmaker holds up to the audience.
What the film asks its audience to notice
- Rejection, and how a person chooses to respond to it.
- Consent as an absolute no, regardless of gender.
- The speed of social media judgement before all the facts are known.
- A courtroom testimony that changes the picture around Pooja.
A director who gives actors space
Angrishh calls Pooja Meri Jaan a labour of love for director Navjot Gulati, and notes the team waited a long time for the release. On set, he remembers Gulati as softly spoken and focused on the monitor, offering actors room to find the scene. One instruction in the courtroom sequence was open-ended: try it another way, or do what feels right, and see how it lands.
That ease carried into the film’s lighter moments, with Angrishh pointing to hilarious one-liners alongside the tension. For OTT viewers, that mix puts a message-driven story next to the one-liners Hindi film fans enjoy.
Source: Filmibeat