MUMBAI: The Imran Khan and Sonam Kapoor-starrer I Hate Luv Storys (IHLS) seems to have struck a chord with the youth even before its release. It has crossed 5,505 fans on Facebook and 1,203 followers on Twitter in the first week.
The overwhelming response prompted Kapoor to tweet, “Thank you guys for the great response to the IHLS promotional stuff. It is really heartening.”
Khan, who had posted a link to the first look of the film on his Twitter page, also wrote, “Just want to thank you all for the amazing response to the first look of IHLS. I am glad you liked it and I do hope you will like the film.”
I Hate Luv Storys is said to have taken a slightly different tack. The story revolves around Jay and Simran, who are complete opposites when it comes to romance. While Jay does not believe in love, Simran swears by it and has a very Bollywood-oriented idea of the emotion. In the film, both of them work for a well-known director who specialises in romantic flicks.
Slated to hit the screens on July 2, the film has been produced by Karan Johar under his banner Dharma Productions. Composed by the musical duo of Vishal and Shekhar, its music offers seven original songs and one remix.
Unlike the regular trend in Bollywood, I Hate Luv Storys introduces a teen couple. Talking about the on-screen chemistry of the lead pair, debutante director Punit Malhotra said, “Sonam and Imran have been paired together for the first time. So it is a very fresh pair.”
Getting one of the most sought after producers in the industry to back one’s project is not an easy task but Malhotra says Johar motivated him to wield the megaphone.
“Karan always used to tell me that I should direct a film. So finally when I wrote the script of I Hate Luv Storys, I went to him. He liked the script a lot and immediately said yes,” Malhotra said.
I Hate Luv Storys is Johar’s first film about the Indian film industry. There are pointed and precocious references to Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and other films of the romantic genre that created box office history a decade ago. “But that’s okay. A new generation of directors like Punit Malhotra [...] have come in. They have their own take on love. And what I did in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai may seem outdated now,” says Johar.
The movie comes after Johar shifted from romance to serious themes such as My Name Is Khan. I Hate Luv Storys emphasises the fact that Johar has outgrown mush.
“Of course, I have outgrown mush. And if I have to make Kuch Kuch Hota Hai today, I would do it in a completely different way. Yeah, I have outgrown mush, but I have not outgrown love,” he said.
The producer has future plans once the movie is out. Johar has announced that he wants to launch a new face under his banner Dharma Productions.”I have made some solid decisions for Dharma starting with the fact that we want to launch new acting talent in a film this year,” Karan posted on his Twitter page.
Published in the Express Tribune, May 29th, 2010.
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