Manish Malhotra’s Gustaakh Ishq - Kucch Pehle Jaisa is grabbing headlines for all the right reasons, majorly for igniting the magic of old-time love with a perfect mix of shayris. What’s also grabbing incredible attention is the film’s charming pair, Vijay Varma and Fatima Sana Shaikh, who are bringing alive the Ishq with their magnetic chemistry that feels as real as ever.
During the recently held trailer launch event, producer Manish Malhotra opened up about casting Vijay and Fatima, and revealed that they were his first choices. He said,“Vibhu and my team had a lot of discussions on the cast. And Vijay ka naam aaya, and I said that he would be the right fit because they both (Vibhu Puri and Vijay Varma) knew each other, and I also knew Vijay, but not so closely as we know each other now. So offcourse, he's an intense actor and I felt he would be great in a romantic role, he has the height, looks - all of it. So we thought Vijay would be the right one for it, so that's how we spoke about Vijay and that's how we went to him.”
Speaking about how Fatima came on-board, Manish added, “The discussion continued, and I asked, why not Fatima? She's very petite, beautiful. She's always done such wonderful roles, but she's never come as a 'heroine' - with the dupatta and nazaakat. So I texted her and she was very responsive. She asked for the script, and I sent it to her at about 8'o clock just when I went to sleep at about 11:30 pm, I got a message from her saying that 'I'm doing the film'. So they both were our first choice. We had a lot of discussions. For us, it was very important that we get an unusual pair.”
“Usually, we don't think of Vijay in a romantic role, but when you see the film, he's so brilliant. My 95 year old mother said 'Dono bahot khoobsurat hai, bahot achhe lagte hai'. He has that beautiful mix, he could look very 'today' and also look 'old world', and have that classic charm. He's got the ability of both of them, so that's why they were a perfect pair,” he concluded.
Audiences are excited to see the magic that’s to unfold between Vijay Varma and Fatima Sana Shaikh in Gustaakh Ishq. Considering their incredible acting range and their drive to reinvent themselves as actors, Vijay and Fatima are coming as an exciting pair to watch out for.
With Gustaakh Ishq, Manish Malhotra begins a new chapter as a producer under Stage5 Production - with a poetic love story that seamlessly blends classic storytelling while embracing the future of Indian cinema. Produced alongside his brother Dinesh Malhotra, Gustaakh Ishq is directed by Vibhu Puri, and it unfolds as a poignant tale of passion and unspoken desire, set amidst the bylanes of Purani Dilli and the fading kothis of Punjab. The film releases in theatres on 28th November.