Long before the online dating/hook-up app Tinder became a way of life, many believed in first love and soulmates. But if you have forgotten about the possibility of finding ‘The One’, then Bollywood drama Sanam Re will help you refresh that memory.
“Sanam Re is an emotional love story between Aakash and Shruti. It’s about finding soulmates in life and how it’s all pre-destined. This film will answer questions about finding love and happiness with that one person,” said Divya Khosla Kumar, the director of Sanam Re.
Starring a clutch of relatively new actors, including Pulkit Samrat, Yami Gautam and Urvashi Rautela, the romantic drama, which opens ahead of Valentine’s Day in the UAE, is an ode to young, innocent love. Samrat, who plays Aakash, is shown as a city-slick boy who’s busy working, with no time for relationships or love. But there’s a twist in his life and it brings him back to his old village, stuck in time. To sum up the soul of this romance, a line in the film says: “in the hustle and bustle of the city, we have forgotten to listen to our heartbeats”.
“Sanam Re shows Aakash and Shruti’s love and conflict in various phases of their life — from childhood, teenage [years], the current day and then their old age. It shows how destiny plays a part in getting these two together. After watching Sanam Re, you may start believing that it’s easy to find a soulmate if you try hard enough,” said Samrat. While playing Aakash came easy to him, romancing on the big screen wasn’t all song and dance.
“Physically, this role was very challenging. We were shooting at locations when there’s less oxygen and sub-zero temperatures. I had to take my shirt off at the freezing Pangong Tso lake in Leh Ladakh. It wasn’t easy,” said Samrat, who has earlier acted in Fukrey and Dolli Ki Doli. While he was appreciated for his roles, his personal life, has come under the scanner. The actor recently filed for divorce from his wife Shweta Rohira. Does it bother him that his failed marriage is discussed more than his work?
“I just work and I don’t bother to read those reports on my personal life. For me, work is important and nothing can overshadow it,” said Samrat, who is also rumoured to be dating his Sanam Re co-star Yami Gautam. But neither star lets such rumours affect their work. While Samrat, who counts Dileep Kumar’s Mughal-e-Azam as the greatest Bollywood romance, believes love is an underrated emotion in today’s times, Gautam is now a believer in soulmates.
“Love is the purest form of emotion. If you are scheming or with a person because he owns a car, home … then you are with him for practical reasons and that’s not love. True love is innocent and we have tried to show that in Sanam Re,” said Gautam.
Incidentally, Gautam is the quintessential late-bloomer.
“Back in school, I was a book worm. While my classmates celebrated Valentine’s Day, I was busy completing notes and studies,” said Gautam, who made her Bollywood debut with the blockbuster Vicky Donor.
The actress believes that there are enough twists in Sanam Re to keep viewers hooked.
The narrative of Sanam Re is non-linear and shows its actors flashing back to childhood and young adulthood.
“After Aashiqui 2, a pure love story has yet to be released. I have treated Sanam Re in a poetic manner. It’s soulful. It will remind all those living in a fast-paced metropolis that a promotion at work will not give you happiness, if you don’t stop to listen to your heart,” said Kumar, who earlier directed Yaariyaan. The wife of T-series music label honcho Bhushan Kumar may have Bollywood A-listers on speed-dial, but she believes that a strong script is more important than hiring actors with strong star power.
“I am fearless. The script should define what kind of actors should be cast. It should never be the other way round … And as a woman, I wanted to carve my own identity as a director,” said Kumar. But haven’t films about finding soulmates in Bollywood been rolled out before?
“Sanam Re is different because it’s sensitive and highly emotional. I agree there have been Yash Chopra’s iconic romances, but I have made an effort to make a small, innocent love story that will appeal to all,” said Kumar.
Don’t miss it!
Sanam Re releases in the UAE cinemas on February 11.
