"Life mein sabse bada risk hota hai, kabhi koi risk na lena," as true as that dialogue rang in Anurag Basu's Barfi, it seems like a true calling to Ileana D'Cruz who picked a rather unusual film for her Bollywood debut in 2012.
It's 13 years of Barfi today, and Ileana takes you along with her as you once again find yourself in the misty bylanes of Darjeeling in the 1970s. Cinematographer Ravi Varman's dreamscape transforms itself into an emotional backdrop to Shruti's (Ileana D'Cruz) bond with Barfi (Ranbir Kapoor) - and the love, loss, and regrets that came with finding him and losing him. Draped in colonial charm and Ileana's first shot in the film as she arrives in what is called the "Queen of Hills", soaking in the panoramic view of the Himalayas and sprawling tea gardens passing by, and the first glimpse of Barfi, up with his antics but different, special.
Barfi is the story of a deaf-mute man (Ranbir Kapoor) and his journey with two women. While Barfi falls in love with Shruti, she succumbs to societal pressure and chooses the "right guy" to be with. Heartbroken, Barfi finds love again in his childhood friend Jhilmil, autistic and heiress to a fortune. The story switches between past and present and as Shruti comes back to Barfi's life after a failed marriage, her feelings rekindle, but she no longer sees the love in Barfi's eyes like before, although her hearts still longs for him.
A scene in Barfi
Is Ileana much like Shruti when in love, or is she rather different?
To that and much more about on-set bickering with Dada, as she lovingly calls Anurag Basu, Ranbir Kapoor being the cheeky prankster, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, just what she is, a revelation.
Ileana D'Cruz chats with NDTV about how Barfi is probably the only film of hers that she can watch and not get uncomfortable about seeing herself on screen.
Falling In Love Like A Fool: "Been There, Done That," Says Ileana
Ileana as Shruti is what you call a complex study. She falls in love with complete abandon, but the strength of wading past societal judgments lead to her losing the kind of soulful connection that happens only once.
She loves Barfi deeply, but her mother keeps reiterating why Ranjit Sengupta (Jisshu Sengupta) is an ideal life partner. Logic triumphs over compassion.
Ileana adds, "Dada didn't have a script, when I met Anurag for the first time, he narrated the story to me. He came to the scene at the end where Jhilmil is calling out to Barfi, he can't hear it but Shruti, my character, can. There's that conflicting moment like should I turn or not because if I do, I lose him for the rest of my life basically and I was very conflicted with the entire story because I wasn't sure. This is a very unusual story. I don't know if people will know how to feel about it. But do I want my debut to be this? But that scene sealed the deal for me."
As for relating to Shruti as Ileana when it comes to falling in love, the actress shares that she has changed so much, but it is the memories of shooting for Barfi that is of essence in her heart.
Ileana adds, "There was so much that happened even during the filming process. So I relate to a lot when it comes to shooting. Like, for example, when she falls in love, she can't help herself. He's charming, he's funny. I see myself in that. But when her mother schools her, she rethiks if she should be giddy-headed or practical. So I've been there, I've had those moments and I've thought about things and I think somewhere along the line, you sort of change. I see a lot of myself in Shruti but not entirely."
"Anurag Basu Shot Me On His Handycam, And Then Said You Are My Shruti"
Ileana honestly confesses that just like every other heroine, she too imagined herself in a true-blue masala film as she made her Bollywood debut. What she got instead, was a conflicted love story with heartbreaks.
There wasn't any set time, she says. Nothing was ever strategically timelined about the perfect moment when she would make her Bollywood debut. As destiny would have it, Barfi happened.
She says, "So it wasn't a plan, I didn't really plan my entire career. I didn't plan on becoming an actor to begin with. So when I did start acting, it was a job. And it was interesting because I hadn't learnt about acting. It wasn't a concrete plan, I'll get to Bollywood after so many years of working in the South. Barfi came at a very random time when I was working in the South. And it was not the story I thought I would get, I thought I'd do this full blown masala commercial film but you know Barfi was a commercial film but it was very niche. It took me a little time to decide whether I should do it."
Ileana in Barfi 🤌pic.twitter.com/U511IxR087 https://t.co/SulVDMDNRc
— Incognito (@mistaeribox) August 6, 2025
Anurag Basu really had to convince her, she chuckles as she recalls him shooting her on a handycam on the pretext of having a candid conversation. At the end of it, all he had to say is, "You're my Shruti." And the rest is history.
Can we take a moment to praise her beauty in the film? @Ileana_Official
— Sneha (@sharanster) September 13, 2020
you are so beautiful 💗
8 YEARS OF CLASSIC BARFI pic.twitter.com/ol2HfT9xTp
"I Was In Awe Of Ranbir, Priyanka Was Also Super Chill": Ileana on Barfi Co-Stars
It was just about 6 years of Ranbir Kapoor in the industry when Barfi happened. To date, it is considered to be one of his career-best performances. Every co-star of his is of the opinion that he envelopes himself with an air of nonchalance, neither success bothers him nor does failures.
A scene in Barfi
Ileana shares, "I always knew Ranbir is a great actor, but I was in awe when I worked with him. I don't know whether he takes himself seriously. He's incredibly chill. He's very easy to work with. Even with Priyanka, it just flowed. But I think with Ranbir, because I had so many scenes with him, it actually feels like he's unaware of his talent because he's so effortless."
A scene in Barfi!
Recalling a fun BTS moment with Ranbir, gorging on the Bengali street food delicacy - phuchka, Ileana admits to being absolutely gullible, and not realising until the very end that Ranbir was pulling her leg.
Ranbir and Ileana's chemistry in the was so magical. Would love seem them together again. 💕💕💕💕
— Sneha (@sharanster) September 13, 2020
8 YEARS OF CLASSIC BARFI pic.twitter.com/J2aOi3dkbt
She shares, "Ranbir played this prank once when we were filming a scene, eating phuchkas. Dada kept on saying from behind the camera that put the entire phuchka in your mouth at once, don't take a bite. It was very chaotic for me. I kept telling the phuchka guy to make it with sweet water but somehow it was only getting spicier. And then I got to know that Ranbir has been switching it all this while, so that's Ranbir for you."
Ileana Storming Off After An On-Set Fight With Anurag Basu
Ebullient and being sprightly comes natural to Ileana. However, she now jokes about a particular day on set when Anurag Basu lost his cool and that led to leaving Ileana in tears.
Not having sensed the mood around, Ileana recalls one fine day that she landed up on set all chirpy, but it resulted in Anurag Basu lashing out at her and the actress almost storming off the set.
As dramatic as it sounds, the story unravels itself in a different tone.
A Pic on X
Ileana shares, "One morning, I just walked in super happy in the morning on set and I was like, hey, how's it going? And he was in a very bad mood. Something ticked him off and he lashed out on me and I got really offended. So, I said, Dada, listen, if you think I'm not right, for this role and if you're not happy with the work I've done, I'll leave. I'm not going to sue you. I will leave. I love the story so much and it won't make me happy to be in a film like this if you don't think I'm right for the part. He went one way I went the other way crying and called the producer. And I said, no, I'm leaving."
She continues, "I spoke to Vidya's husband, Sid, and he said he's on his way, just do the scenes. So I go, get ready, have my makeup on, And Dada comes walking back in and he's the only one who used to call me Ilu. I don't allow anybody call me Ilu. And he just simply said that I walked in at a bad time, and not to take him seriously. We laughed it off and hugged it out."
At the end, Ileana reassures, that it all works out. That's why 13 years later, a film like Barfi Is still talked about. Circling back to where we began, and an ideal dialogue from the film on taking risks, for Ileana, she took one and it paid off with Barfi.
