Love Actually

Has love really evolved over the years? How? Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali provides the answer in Love Aaj Kal,a typically Bollywood masala film which places the Romeo-Juliet romance in modern times. Accompanied by actors Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone,Ali dropped by Ambience Mall on Friday to gush about his latest offering. “It is a film about a modern day working couple who understand the issues of being in a relationship,” he said. Love Aaj Kal releases on July 31.

He’s also repeated the Punjabi flavour of Jab We Met,even getting Khan to sport a turban and including Punjabi songs and scenes at Damdama sahib,Bathinda,in the film. “I love the exuberance of Punjabi culture and have traveled a lot in trains across Punjab where many stories emerged,” Ali explained.

How did Padukone identify with her character,Meera? It was Khan who quipped up,“She would always get drunk on the sets and we had to carry her away before she embarrassed herself further.”

Khan,who turns producer under the banner Illuminati Films with this film,added that he was “feeling the pressure now that the film is nearing release”. But,if the grapevine is to be believed,production was not his only burden — Did he have to do as many as 45 takes for the dance number Twist? “It was actually six or seven retakes,” he said,with the weariness of one who has been asked this question before. “And no,the steps were never changed for any dance number.”