How an Unexpected Road Trip Forged a Lifelong Bond Between the Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani Cast
Aditya Roy Kapur reveals how a nearly ten-hour journey to Manali broke the ice early on set, setting the stage for the genuine friendship that shone through in the film.
Aditya Roy Kapur recently took a nostalgic walk down memory lane as he recalled the making of Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013) and the genuine friendships that blossomed during the shoot. The film, directed by Ayan Mukerji and starring Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Kalki Koechlin, and Kapur himself, is remembered not just for its music and story but also for its heartfelt portrayal of friendship.
Kapur shared that sometimes, you simply connect with people in an unexpected way. “I think sometimes you just luck out. You end up clicking, and the energy just matches. That’s what happened on that film. Ayan Mukerji must get some credit for formulating that also,” he said.
Interestingly, the bond between the cast didn’t start on set but on the way to it. All four actors were bundled into a single car for what was meant to be a seven-to-eight-hour journey to Manali. Instead, it stretched close to ten hours. “He gave us only one car. So, he made sure the four of us kind of drove together. I think that broke the ice, because that was literally day one. Before any shoot had happened. We didn’t do workshops or anything,” Kapur recalled with a laugh.
That unexpectedly long road trip, he explained, became the foundation of their camaraderie, one that naturally spilled over onto the screen. “This is one of those films where the fun you’re having off-screen kind of filters onto the screen. That’s exactly what happened because we were having a blast while shooting that film.”
From the snowy peaks of Kashmir to the vibrant streets of Mumbai, the shoot took the team across India’s diverse landscapes. Yet for Kapur, it was that very first road trip to Manali that laid the groundwork for the warmth and authenticity that continue to define Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani even today.
