The sarson ke khet, melodious tunes, a handsome hunk of a lover and a bindaas Punjaban — no, this is not a sequel of DDlJ. This is Ramaiya Vastavaiya.
On the film Ramaiya Vastavaiya:
Girish Taurani: My father wanted to launch me but nothing interesting was coming along. When Shiraz Ahmed came with the script of this film, he was sold to the idea instantly. He was sure that this film will turn out to be the perfect launch pad for me. I was not signed up immediately. I had to spend an entire day giving auditions and another day just to show my dancing skills. It was only after all this rigorous screening that Prabhu Deva took me on for RV.
Shruti: They were looking for someone who could be portrayed as pretty yet a simple looking girl. Initially, the casting crew of RV wanted to get a fresh face to play lead opposite Girish, but eventually they decided to get someone with a little more experience Prabhu sir and I have worked before in many Tollywood films, so he suggested my name. I auditioned and I was quite liked. Rest is history.
On the characters in RV:
Girish: I play Ram who is a city born cool and funky guy. He lives life king size and does all sorts of crazy things along the way. He is commitment phobic. However, when he finally falls in love, he goes all the way. I am not the types to give up. So I chase the girl to her village, plough her fields and even milk cows to impresses her brother.
Shruti: I play Sona, a regular village girl from Punjab. She is simple, cultured and comes from an orthodox Punjabi family. She is best friends with Ram’s cousin sister and that is how the two meet. She isn’t too ambitious and has the conventional mindset of an arranged marriage until she meets Ram.
On memories during shooting:
Girish: My most cherished dream is the opening scene of the film. For the first time in Bollywood, the lead actor will surf his way into the film. Initially, Prabhu sir was keen on a motorcycle chase as my introductory scene, but later the creative head thought that we should do things differently.
Shruti: I can’t think of a single favourite incident since there were so many. But I am totally mesmerised with the village near Pune where we shot for the film. Most films are shot in foreign locations now-a-days; however, there are so many destinations within India which are so beautiful.
On working with Prabhu Deva in a romantic film:
Girish: He is an extremely strict person on the sets. He didn’t treat me differently because I was the son of the producer.
Shruti: Not many people know that Prabhu sir is better known for his romantic films down south as opposed to action. In fact, this film is a remake of his debut film Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana, which was in Telegu. Working with him is always an enriching experience.
On the pressure of performance:
Girish: Bollywood is not confined to celeb children, so many talented actors have forayed into the film industry. Everybody should get an opportunity to prove his/her mettle.