Riteish Deshmukh’s character in his upcoming film, Banjo, is a local street musician known for his smoking habits. Riteish being a non-smoker, herbal cigarettes were used in the movie to make his performance look more authentic.
A source says, “Riteish is against smoking. He had always refused to smoke even during his earlier character portrayals. However, in Banjo, he is playing the role of a street performer. He realised that his role required him to smoke.”
So, the actor opted for herbal cigarettes that do not contain tobacco. When contacted, Riteish confirmed the news, and said, “To make my character look more believable, I was supposed to smoke in a few scenes, as that was integral to the script. Thankfully, I had to smoke herbal cigarettes and not the actual ones that are harmful.”
Banjo, produced by Eros International, directed by Ravi Jadhav, starring Riteish Deshmukh and Nargis Fakhri releases on 23rd September!