'I was definitely under a lot of stress and pressure,' says Fawad Khan — but what made Aabeer Gulaal star nervous?

Dubai: “Cinema is kind of begging for such a film, because everything is now very intense, very dark, very dramatic — either a thriller or too much of blood and gore,” declares Pakistani heartthrob Fawad Khan, reflecting on why he chose Aabeer Gulaal, his latest romantic comedy alongside Vaani Kapoor.

“This is more like a palate cleanser. The best foods are the ones with the simplest ingredients, where you can taste everything individually. And that only happens when there’s no complication in it. So this is that kind of a meal.”

For Khan, the return to romance isn’t just nostalgia — it’s a necessity. Aabeer Gulaal leans into conversations, tenderness, and realism over spectacle, echoing classics like Before Sunrise or Roman Holiday. And let’s be honest — who doesn’t want Fawad Khan as their palate cleanser?

Of course, no love story is without its twists. While the film unites two of South Asia’s most celebrated stars, its release journey hasn’t been smooth. Aabeer Gulaal won’t hit cinemas in India due to regulatory and distribution challenges, but fans in the UAE and Pakistan will get to experience it on the big screen. It’s a cross-border project that highlights both the complications and the possibilities of storytelling in the region.

On relationships and “The one”

“Having a relationship is a journey in life,” Khan reflects.

“Over the course of time, you come to that equilibrium point. It may feel like love at first sight, and it can work out, but you have to accept people with their flaws. That’s what we’re becoming more intolerant of — we just feel everything has to serve one’s own purpose. If something bothers you about your partner, you have to take it in your stride and make it work. That is a very big part of commitment. If you keep waiting forever, you might just wait forever.”

It’s a no-nonsense take on romance — one that grounds Aabeer Gulaal in the messy, imperfect reality of love.

Vaani Kapoor on Finding Herself

“She’s trying to first figure who she is and what she wants,” says Vaani Kapoor about her character.

“It’s a self-discovery for her. 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, very old school. I do believe in loyalty and commitment and just making one thing work.”

And Kapoor is just as candid about her own outlook.

“I’m single, and I feel like I am single until I’m married. I get scared — what if I end up being with somebody and one day I wake up and feel, no, I made a mistake? That thought does cross me. 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.”

A song, a meme, a moment

If you’ve been on social media recently, chances are you’ve seen that teaser — the one where Fawad Khan serenades Kapoor with a classic Bollywood track. Fans lost their collective minds, flooding timelines with memes, many declaring: “The world is healing.”

“I was definitely under a lot of stress and pressure,” Khan admits. “I don’t sing very often. I think of myself as a bathroom singer. But it’s such an iconic song, so I was nervous.”

Kapoor, meanwhile, remembers bursting out laughing before the cameras rolled. “I think I was being silly before that teaser that we shot. I said something really silly, and he made me burst out laughing.”

For Kapoor, though, the moment was magic. “I got lucky,” she says with a smile.

Aabeer Gulaal is out in UAE cinemas and worldwide (except India) on September 12