Deeksha Seth, who makes her Bollywood debut with Lekhar Hum Deewana Dil this weekend, knew she was onto something big when she stepped out of her vanity van. On her first day of filming, director Imtiaz Ali’s brother Arif — who is directing her in her first Hindi romantic comedy — took one look at her and asked her to go back and remove all her make-up.
“Newcomers are either trying to be glamorous or working on their six-pack abs so that they can show their bodies. But the theme of Lekhar Hum Deewana Dil is relatable and the movie is about real people, real emotions. He didn’t want me to look all made up. The look we were going for was natural, like how college kids look these days,” said Seth.
Her romantic comedy chronicles the journey of two best friends, Dino and Karishma, in their early twenties who decide to get married on an impulse to get away from a sticky situation at home. Karishma’s parents are expecting her to get married to a groom that they choose after she finishes college.
“Now there’s a whole generation questioning that? They now ask: do I not have a right to live my own life and make my own decisions?,” said Seth, who says that the film will resonate with youngsters in India who may be going through a quarter-life crisis patch. Keeping her company is newcomer Armaan Jain. Born into a prominent Bollywood filmmaking/acting dynasty, Jain is the grandson of the late actor Raj Kapoor and counts stars Ranbir Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor as his cousins. So did they guide him and prepare him for the big, bad world of acting?
“To be honest, the journey of me becoming an actor has always been my own,” said Jain in an interview with tabloid! The former overweight teenager shed more than 25 kilos and worked at becoming camera-ready.
“My mum once told me that we should listen to everyone’s advice taking into consideration their collective acting experience. But to become an actor, you need to go and discover yourself. You need to observe people, the situation and just go and do it. Just keep growing from your personal experiences and I did that,” said Jain, who attended several acting workshops before taking the Bollywood plunge. He also assisted ace director-producer Karan Johar in films such as Student Of The Year and Ekk Main Aur Ekk Tu to learn the nuts and bolts of filmmaking.
“I come from a film family but I felt shy when my uncles and cousins were recognised … I come from an investment family background so I have not grown up attending premieres or playing around on a film set. I was isolated from the glamour side of Bollywood and films. The journey of me becoming an actor has therefore been my own,” said Jain.
So was acting his natural choice? The illustrious Kapoor dynasty is filled with actors, producers and directors.
“When I was young, I wanted to be a lot of things. Cricketer, astronaut but then I realised that if you become an actor you could be anything that you wanted to be. And truthfully, even while I was studying economics I knew in my heart that I wanted to pursue acting,” said Jain. He says he had to go through a rigorous audition process for his first movie role.
“Even before the narration ended, I was in love with my character because he’s so endearing. And Arif sir had a lot of confidence while narrating the script and I found that heartening,” said Jain. His co-star Seth, a former Femina Miss India finalist, felt the same emotions.
“Arif doesn’t believe in brief narrations. My narration lasted around three and a half hours and the best part is that I wasn’t restless. Our generation wants to do ten things at the same time and pack so many things in our day. But for once, I was actually sitting still for three hours. I was just listening to the story, wondering if the lead actors would unite in the end and it felt brilliant,” said Seth. Like her hero Jain, she too went through a rounds of relentless auditions. The good news that she had cracked the auditions came on her birthday, when she had almost given up hope. She was in Hyderabad then.
“That’s when Arif just messaged me a few random numbers on my phone. When I asked him what that was, he said it was my PNR number [flight booking details] to Mumbai. It was one of the most memorable moments in my life.”
Her unabashed confidence in Lekar Hum Deewana Dil is highlighted further when she claims that the script demanded new faces. She has acted in seven South Indian films, but Lekar Hum Deewana Dil spells her entry into Hindi cinema.
‘Comparisons’
“This movie can’t have a star … If there was a star, he carries certain baggage because his fans already have formed an impression about him. Lekar Hum is a real movie with real problems and everyone out there will identify with us,” said Seth. While her confidence in her latest film is split-proof, she believes that Jain has a tougher battle ahead of him since he has a rich acting legacy behind him.
“He’s going to be faced with comparisons with his cousins and uncles. Imagine Ranbir is one of the biggest stars in Bollywood, so Armaan doesn’t have it easy. In that respect, mine is less daunting. But we can’t escape judgement day. Everybody is going to see us act and give their verdict. That’s scary.” But what may work in their favour is that Bollywood movie fans have been embracing new talent recently. Actors such as Siddharth Malhtora, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt have all managed to amass a strong fan base rapidly.
“It’s a good time to be in Bollywood because all kinds of stories are being told,” said Jain. And what will help their cause is that their debut film deals with love, an emotion that holds universal appeal.
“The core of Lekhar Hum Deewana Dil is a love story about two young people who make mistakes and decisions without thinking too much about it. They are impulsive and adventurous. I am confident that the youth will identify with it.”
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Lekar Hum Deewana Dil releases in the UAE on July 3.