Talktime | Divya Khosla Kumar 

Pesky director Divya Khosla Kumar, whose debut film Yaariyan was a Box Office hit, is all set to release her next film Sanam Re this Valentine’s Day. Kumar speaks with Sangeeta Yadav about what’s special about this venture

Being an out-an-out romantic film, do you think Sanam Re will spread its magicIJ

Of course! It’s a pure love story and solely about finding your soulmate. It answers questions about love and happiness. It is a love story that travels through the 80s, 90s to present day. I am an emotional person, so I’ve tried to put in a lot of emotions to make this beautiful love story. I’m sure this Valentine’s Day, all those who are in love will find a connect with it. Others will relate to the emotional aspect.

What prompted you to shake a leg in the song Humne Pee Rakhi Hai IJ

So far I’ve acted in just one film — Aab Tumhare Hawale Watan Sathiyo and done a few ads and music videos. But some people wanted to see me on screen again and would always ask when that would happenIJ I decided to put a full stop to this question by doing this song in the film.

Was it difficult for you to find correct starcast for this filmIJ

Pulkit Sharma, who plays Aakash, was always my first choice for the lead character. I couldn’t take anybody who is too successful in Bollywood or too happy looking. Whenever I met Pulkit, I found little hint of sadness in his eyes. I told him that I’m selecting him because I see sadness in his eyes. For Shruti’s character, I took little time to finalise on Yami Gautam. I wanted someone who can carry off the look of 16 to 30-year-old well. Yami fit the bill.

How is this film different from your first movie YaariyanIJ

The treatment is completely different asYaariyan was about college goers. It took a lot of time for that film to come to the big screen. It took me time to finalise the story as well. When I zeroed in on the starcast, they were raw and had to undergo acting workshop. Fortunately, with Sanam Re that was not the case. Also, I had things in place and now it is all set to release.

Is directing a daunting taskIJ

Filmmaking as a process is very difficult and tiring. It demands a lot of hard work, passion and energy. You are asked to be strong like a soldier. At times we are shooting in extreme climate condition and circumstances where the unit gets demoralised. You’ve to motivate them and constantly push your actors. I’m a perfectionist and I’m not satisfied easily. If I had to narrate  a scene, I perform and showed them way I wanted. You’ve to make sure that the film looks good. For me, filmmaking is a process of growing as a creative person and polishes my craft.

What according to you makes a movie hitIJ

I believe script is the king and is the integral aspect on which the entire foundation is set. The audience has become very intelligent these days. So if the script is good and has a story, they would not mind seeing newcomers as lead characters.