Ad filmmaker Aleya Sen’s directorial debut Dil Junglee with Saqib Saleem and Tapsee Pannu is all set to hit the silver screens on February 16. The rom-com has also been penned by the director, who reveals that the storyline took shape when she and her sister, along with a friend, were discussing things and they just started writing. “I had a story in mind and we added many things later. The characters are from our lives. The feedback I am getting is fresh and real. I have not filtered anything,” says Aleya.
Saqib Saleem says that he fell in love with the script the moment he heard it. “It has a lot of fun element. I had started my career with light films like Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge and Mere Dad Ki Maruti. I enjoyed working in these films and was looking at something in that space. But I ended up doing serious content like Dobaraa, Hawa Hawaaii and Bombay Talkies. These films came from a serious and restrained space. I had to go into a shell and become a different person and coming out of that character takes time. I wanted to do a light film and this one didn’t require any preparation,” he adds.
Both the director and the actor belong to Delhi where the film is set. “I am from Kolkata but I grew up in Delhi, so I wanted the movie to have a Delhi connection,” says Aleya, who got the best ad film award for Wagh Bakri in 2015.
The hero of the film is a gym trainer in Lajpat Nagar of Delhi, not very unlike Saqib. “I grew up in that area and have experienced that life. In real life too, I love going to the gym. Even Tapsee belongs to Delhi, so we got on like a house on fire. We got along so well that everyone in the crew thought we had known each other for years,” says Saqib.
It is a wild love story, hence the title, says Aleya. “Sometimes, your heart goes wild in love and makes you do things that you won’t do otherwise,” says the director, who has worked with both Saqib and Tapsee earlier on a video album for T-Series. “At that moment itself, I had felt they share a good chemistry and it should be translated into a feature film.”
Dil Junglee is about different stages of love. “When you are 18, you have an understanding of love in a certain way. When you turn 24 you become a little responsible. At 28 you have another definition as you want to settle down in life. Our characters are in love with each other but they are not sure. Overall, it’s a fun film,” says Saqib.
What about break-ups? Aleya opines, “There are ups and downs in life but I believe in moving ahead with a renewed energy.”
On the other hand, Saqib feels break-ups are difficult to deal with. “I came to Mumbai following my love. My girlfriend didn’t want a long distance relationship. One thing led to another and I came into films. I am thankful to her for showing me the way,” he adds.
Talking more about his co-star, Saqib says, “Tapsee and I are both desis at heart. We love food and our thoughts are similar. We have normal conversations not just about work, but everything else. She is one of the best co-stars I have had.”
For now, Aleya is concentrating on the release of her film. “But I have two scripts ready and I am in the process of pitching them. Let’s see what happens,” she says.
Meanwhile, Saqib is busy shooting for Race 3. “It is fun working with actors like Salman Khan and Anil Kapoor. They are the people I grew up watching. It’s a different experience to be in the franchise. I was in college when I saw Race. Jacqueline Fernadez and Daisy Shah are also good actors to work with,” says he and adds that he will also start shooting for Bengali director Abir Sengupta’s first Hindi film Chumbak.