'Mardaani' is and will always be my most favourite film: Vishal Jethwa

As Rani Mukerji-starrer 'Mardaani' clocked in six years on Saturday, actor Vishal Jethwa, notable for his villainous role in 'Mardaani 2', said the first film of the franchise will always remain his favourite.

As R Mukerji-starrer 'Marda' clocked in six years on Saturday, actor Vishal Jethwa, notable for his villainous role in 'Marda 2', said the first film of the franchise will always remain his favourite.

"Marda is and will always be my most favourite film because it has been very special in my life. I was blown away by the film when I saw it after I was cast for the sequel! I was delighted that I was part of the sequel of this outstanding film," he said.

The 26-year-old actor explained: "What I loved about Marda was that the film gave a brand new thriller to the audience and it revolved around a female cop. That was new and it was really cool to see a woman cop taking on such an evil person."

Jethwa also raved about the actor Tahir Raj Bhasin, who played the villain in the first film of the franchise, saying "his interpretation of a spine-chilling villain" is what he loved.

"I also loved that the film was thoroughly entertaining and also delivered a very important message on child trafficking," he added.

The actor had bagged several Best Debut awards for his performance in the second installment of the action-drama film.

"I was proud to take the franchise forward along with the incredible R ma'am and give Indians a villain that they have showered so much love on. I wanted to do justice to the madness of my character and I wanted to do it well because there is always an expectation about Marda films," he noted.

The actor also thanked the director Gopi Puthran, who had also written the first film, and his producer Aditya Chopra, for "trusting his ability to deliver on-screen."

"I worked really, really hard for the film and I'm thankful that it paid off really well for me. I'm grateful to the audience that they really took to the madness of my character because I followed my gut and the script to shape it," Jethwa said.

For years Bollywood has been making films on mighty male cops, while 'Marda' is a step towards the genre of female cop universe. Both the instalments of the R Mukerji-starrer have been adored by audiences and critics across the country.

( With inputs from ANI )