Actors Kriti Kharbanda and Pulkit Samrat reminisce their days spent in the city and share their mantra of tackling failures. By Upasana Singh
Veerey Ki Wedding is caught up in a controversy yet again. Apart from the dispute over the title with the producers of Sonam-Kareena starrer Veere Di Wedding, the film has recently received a legal notice for using a Haryanvi song Hatt Ja Tau without the permission of the original singer Vikas Kumar. In the film, the song features popular Haryanvi dancer Sapna Choudhary. Since the song has been used in the film without prior knowledge of Kumar, his lawyer has stated that the makers will have to seek an apology from the singer and also pay him Rs 7 crore as damages.
“We are not aware of this controversy and no notice has been sent to us. But just to clear the matter, I believe Hat Ja Tau is a folk number. Qawwali has been sung by different singers from generation to generation without restricting it to its original nature. Similarly, this folk song is just a recreation of the original and there is no point in claiming for the copyright of it”, said Samrat who is playing the protagonist Veer in the film opposite Kriti Kharbanda who is essaying the role of Geet. Sharing his opinion about the highs and lows that the film has been through, Samrat exclaimed, “The hustle over the title has now come to rest. Whether its the name of the movie or song Hatt Ja Tau, the movie is now close to its release and we are prepared to carry forward our film smoothly.”
The movie chronicles the journey of Veer who is in love with Geet. They are keen to get married but Geet’s family is not in agreement for the marriage proposal because of Veer and his elder brother’s rowdy nature.
“The title of the film in itself holds the suspense of whether Jimmy Shergill gets the bride for Veer or not. That’s the big question in the film. But eventually, you will get to know if the film is just about one brother or the two veers.”
The film was shot in Delhi and the duo was excited to share the memories spent with their families before shifting to Mumbai for pursuing their dreams. “Delhi winters were always my favourite. From eating peanuts or chikki to soaking in the aftenoon sun at grandma’s house is something that I miss the most in Mumbai,” said Samrat.
“I am a Delhi girl at heart and I had the same experiences similar to every Delhi girl. I used to reside in Punjabi Bagh where I had my first lohri and birthday party as a kid. Appu Ghar, India Gate, Delhi Haat and Hauz Khaz were some of my favourite joints. While coming here for the shoot, I went to all these places and cherished the old memories spent at each of these places”, said Kharbanda.
When asked if there is any resemblance with the character played by Kareena Kapoor having a similar name in Jab We Met, she replied, “I am glad about essaying a character that was named after an iconic figure but its entirely different from hers. I can’t even compare myself with Kareena who has been in the industry for such a long period of time and has a vast body of work behind her.”
The poster of the film presents her in bridal wear. When asked about her look in the film, Kharbanda amusingly revealed, “As a kid, whenever somebody asked me about my future plans, my reply has always been that I wanted to marry and have kids when I grow up. I still have a picture of a ring saved on my phone that I used to dream about as my wedding ring. Now that I have been consistently opting for bride’s role, I think my childhood dream is already fulfilled.”
Even though their earlier films didn’t do well on screen, the actors are optimistic about their future prospects.
Asked if they were bogged down by failures, Samrat shared, “I always maintain consistency and don’t carry forward the burden of success or failure. The response of my last film does not influence the state of my mind. While focussing on the new script, I always give a fresh start to it.”
Whereas Kharbanda was of a different opinion, “As an actor, our job is to play the character as close to reality as possible to build a connect with the audience. But if we are unable to achieve it, that is where I feel like a failure. Samrat and I have worked really hard for it. Sometimes our films click, sometimes they don’t but the actor’s viewpoint should always be positive. I never carry forward any baggage from the response of my last release.”
The actress is currently working on her forthcoming project, Yamla Pagla Deewana Phir Se with the Deol clan and will also be seen doing an extended cameo in Karwan.
“Being selfish, I am only aiming towards being better than yesterday which is the toughest thing to do. I want people to look at me the way I look at myself. In that sense, I already consider myself a star. I have come a long way from where I began and am looking forward to a better life”, she added.
Receiving immense appreciation for his roles in romantic and comedy movies, Samrat wishes to work on the biopic of Rajesh Khanna. “Right now, I am in a position where I can explore any genre. So, I am having fun exploring whatever role comes my way.” However, sharing his opinion over the threats that have been doing the rounds against creativity and content in Bollywood, the actress has a straight reply to it. “We don’t let it affect us.” The actor is currently shooting for his forthcoming project 3 Storeys. “This film is quite different from what I have been doing in the past few years. Also, this character has made me selective about choosing scripts.”
Besides the two actors, the brother of Veer essayed by Jimmy Shergill is also grabbing eyeballs for one of his epic dialogue in the film “Rahul (Gandhi), Salman and I have decided, whenever we decide to get married, we will do it together”.
Working in the industry where actress’ future projects are judged on the success of their previous movies, Kharbanda stressed upon the intention of an artist. “There have been artists who don’t have successful films in their kitty but still are widely recognised as actors and have managed to get work in the industry. My film Raaz didn’t do well but I still managed to get work and carved a path for myself in the industry.”