Fawad Khan and Vaani Kapoor open up on love, soulmates, and relationships ahead of Aabeer Gulaal global release

Romantic comedies may feel like a dying breed in a world saturated with thrillers and dark dramas, but actors Fawad Khan and Vaani Kapoor believe there’s still space for stories about connection, tenderness, and conversation.

Sitting down with Gulf News during their press junket to Dubai in April, the good-looking duo opened up about why their latest film leans into an old-school charm reminiscent of Richard Linklater’s beloved Before Sunrise series.

“Well, yeah! But it won't remind you of just a Before Sunrise series, perhaps even a movie like Roman Holiday ,” said Fawad, alluding to Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck’s bittersweet film.

For him, stories about romance and connection serve as a much-needed palate cleanser in an industry oversaturated with grit.

But his take on love goes beyond cinematic nostalgia—he grounds it in real life.

“Don't you make your own Rahul [Shah Rukh Khan's hit beloved romantic hero characters], right?… Having a relationship is a journey in life… you have to accept people with their flaws, and that is what I feel that we’re becoming more intolerant of. We just feel that everything has to serve one’s own purpose. So there’s something that really bothers you about your partner, you have to take it in your stride, and you have to make it work. That is, I think, a very big part of commitment. If you keep waiting forever, you might just wait forever.”

For his co-star Vaani Kapoor, love in reel and real life is closely tied to identity and self-discovery. She believes her character mirrors that inner search.
“She’s trying to first figure who she is and figure what, yeah, she’s, I think it’s a self-discovery for her to understand who she is and what she wants. And I’ve been there, and I still feel like I’m pretty much still there, still trying to decode what life has to offer… But if you ask me as an individual, yes, I feel I’m very old fashioned, and I’m very old school, and my ideas could seem a bit dated now, but I do believe in loyalty and commitment and just, you know, making one thing work. I mean, if you really want to, you choose that person you know every day, and you choose that emotion every day, and you make that choice, conscious choice.”

Still, she admits that modern dating apps and the culture of endless swiping have made her more cautious about commitment.
“I feel like I am single until I’m married. I don’t know if a part of my brain is a bit commitment for—like, not phobic, but I’m wary of it… which is why I want to be a gazillion percent sure, figure myself out. So when I’m with somebody, I know what I want. I feel like, you know, I somewhere deep down in my gut, I know I’m still waiting for that voice, you know, that shout out from within that okay. This feels right. This feels right.”