Double Impact

The filmmaker seems to be warming up to marketing buzzwords like ‘innovate’ and ‘be creative’,and is allowing cinema patrons to watch the second movie at their own leisure. “If you can’t watch Love Express and Cycle Kick back to back,then watch one,and avail of the next ticket later on.” Both the projects have been shot within a budget of Rs 5 crores. While Love Express is a story of a boy and girl trying to get out of an arranged marriage,Cycle Kick is about two village boys,who play a football match to win their status symbol — a cycle.

“Love Express is totally Punjabi in nature and has been shot on a recreated train. It’s the story of two families trying to fix an arranged match,whereas the boy and girl in question are trying to find ways and excuses to wriggle out of,” explains 23-year-old Mehta. “We scheme,connive,cook up stories,attack reputations till one thing changes the equation,” adds Ravi,his 24-year-old co-star. Together,they spent a year auditioning for roles and meeting producers till they received a call from WWI. The film poster echoes the look of the early 90s film,Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge and shows the leading pair sitting back to back on a bench at a railway station. “Comparisons to DDLJ are a compliment,” they smile,agreeing with Ghai’s move. “Rs 500 for a film ticket pinches. We remember how we used to scrape for money,find ways to get it and watch a film. Hopefully,this new experiment will work hopefully,” adds Ravi.

Ghai admits that it’s all about one’s performance and how he/ she avails an opportunity. “Children have a very warped perception of media or glamour,of stardom. These are not overnight success stories,one has to work hard and stay focused,” he says.