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Brimming with joy

Photo: Anu Pushkarna

Cheers to life Imran and Genelia

These days, when Bollywood is delivering more turkeys than hits, the breezy appeal of Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Na has caught the imagination of the movie-going janta. In Delhi to promote their film, the two new stars, Imran and Ge nelia, confess to being overwhelmed by the response the film has evoked.

“While I was hoping for a good opening, I had never imagined it would be like this. It gives a very unusual, great feeling,” says Imran, to which the petite Genelia, looking every bit a college kid in her casual blue top, jeans and matching shoes, agrees, “I was also expecting a good response but certainly not to this extent.”

The two are at the poolside of Hyatt Regency, sipping juice, and as the talk turns to food, Imran shares “As I have studied in a boarding school, my preference has been towards home cooked meals, which I enjoy the most. Otherwise, I love to eat all types of cuisine and am quite a foodie, but my metabolism is such that I do not gain weight easily. In fact, because of that I have become quite a good cook and enjoy my role as a chef.”

Genelia responds, “I am a hardcore Indian food fan and thrill at the likes of rajma-chawal. My favourite is yellow dal with a good tadka, but I am not the cooking types — although I know that once I try my hand at it, I will manage to do a good job.”

Imran, with his film lineage, says he always wanted to join films, but as a director, not an actor, and trained at an institute in the U.S. In an industry where looks are everything, he comments, “I am not carried away by the entire six-pack abs thing, as I have always maintained a good physique, though I will be working on my size, for which I do weight training five-six days a week for about two hours.”

Genelia confesses, “I am not into a heavy duty exercise regime, but I do perform some light exercises and enjoy jogging. Moreover, I make it a point to have a well balanced diet, which, of late, has been high on proteins.”

Her entry into films was fortuitous too. “I was spotted at a wedding, and the next thing I know was an ad with Mr. Bachchan for Cadbury’s directed by Mansoor Khan, from where there has been no looking back.”

While Genelia prefers to watch cinema “that is easy going, relaxing and allows one to chill after a hard day’s grind,” Imran likes “thrillers as a genre. It so happens that both my forthcoming releases, Kidnap, directed by Sanjay Gadhvi and scheduled for an October release, and Luck, where Soham wields the baton, fall in that genre.”

Imran adds the average age of those associated with the film was in the 20s, and there were several first-timers. “Everyone was passionate about their work and the absence of any hierarchy made the entire experience like a film school project.”

As they soak in the adulation pouring in for the movie, a college romance, something which has not tasted success in the recent past, Imran remarks, “The success of any genre depends on the merits of the film. I feel the industry at present is in the throes of a renaissance, when a new bnch of\ talented people in different fields, like writers are coming in. This, along with the changing audience profile will lead to higher standards of filmmaking.” Genelia concurs.

On Aamir the Uncle versus Aamir the producer, Imran says, “He was not involved in the actual detailing of the production, as he was busy with Taare Zameen Par. But he was very much a part of the post-production and pre-release strategy.”

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