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Not just slapstick

And action! Sachin Khot directs Mallika Sherawat

Call it a superficial change, or a reflection of society, but stereotypes are crumbling at the box office these days. Be it representation of a minority or trying out odd couples, filmmakers are pushing for a change. The newest kid on the block is “Ugly Aur Pagli”. “The idea is to turn the idea of romance upside down. Here the female character is dominating,” says Sachin Khot, who is making his big screen directorial debut with the film after earning a name for himself on telly with series like “Shanti”, “Kagaar” and “Haqeeqat” to his credit.

Sachin insists when he says dominance it also includes physical authority. “She gives him an arduous task to perform to win her. And then the popular tagline ‘99 slaps and one kiss’ explains it. In fact there could be a contest for counting how many times she actually slaps him,” he quips.

Talking about how the audience will relate to the idea, Sachin says women are always known to be emotionally stronger. The she and he in question are Mallika Sherawat and Ranvir Shorey.

“Not many actors would have agreed to be slapped so many times by his female co-star. Ranvir plays a lovable loser whom all can identify with. Similarly Mallika plays a simple girl quite unlike her image.”

“The title is not to be taken literally. It is how the society would perceive such couple.” Sachin feels post-“Murder” Mallika has shown a certain degree of thought in her choice of films. “People have a misconception that she has a studious approach towards acting. Here she has matched Ranvir, who is known for his improvisations.” The film also has a strong support cast led by Zeenat Aman. Sachin says the film is not a continuation of “Pyaar Ke Side Effects” as a section of the media has reported. “To me casting of the lead pair includes a combination of physical attributes and a certain on-screen chemistry, as has been the case always, but the most important part is it should emerge out of the writing, which is happening these days. The bottom line is believable characters.”

As a young director, Sachin is excited that audiences are opening up for change but at the same time feels that the viewer is stuck with comedy. “I am waiting for times when different genres are well received.”

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