By Davina Raisinghani

Excited, nervous and hoping for a much-needed hit – that’s Imran Khan for you. But Sonam Kapoor’s practically unshakable in her faith in the success of I Hate Luv Storys

WITH VETERAN INDIAN filmmakers such as Subhash Ghai dubbing the Imran Khan-Sonam Kapoor pair a modern-day Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit duo in terms of chemistry, expectations from their upcoming romantic comedy, debutante director Punit Malhotra’s I Hate Luv Storys are definitely mounting.

And with box office duds such as Saawariya, Kidnap and Luck to their credit, the relatively novel actors sure could use a commercially viable movie under their belts.

“Those are some seriously large shoes to fill,” acknowledged Kapoor when quizzed about the rather flattering comparison to her talented father and his popular co-star.

“It’s a little scary, isn’t it? But Imran and I do share a special bond and I think that reflects on screen. He’s extremely easy and refreshing to work with and very open to constructive criticism.”

In town as part of the promotional tour for I Hate Luv Storys, the actress was accompanied by Khan, who, in complete contrast to her calm demeanour, was a veritable bundle of nerves.

“I’ve always felt very afraid before the release of any one of my films. I always think to myself, what if it’s not good enough? Or what if it’s not what people were hoping it was? But then that’s what drives me to work,” noted the actor.

Unfortunately for the two, with their contemporaries (namely, Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone) garnering more attention and box office hits, they would definitely love to chalk this in the win column.

“The first time I heard the script, I was blown over by how smart, funny and unpretentious it was. It will appeal to the thinkers as well as to the people just looking for a good watch,” promised Kapoor.

The feature tells the tale of set designer Simran and assistant director Jay who cross paths on the sets of a movie, helmed by a filmmaker notorious for churning out romantic extravaganzas.

“I love my character,” enthused the actress. “She’s a perfectionist and an idealist who’s quite obsessed with romance. She actually speaks in clichés. I like the vibe she gives off.”

Meanwhile Khan - who plays the role of a cynical, suave flirt - declared frequently during our interview that his reasons for taking on the part were a tad simpler.

“Almost a dozen romantic comedies are made every year with very similar characters. But what was unique about Jay was his irreverent sense of humour, which is inspired by none other than our director, who wrote the script of the film.”

Punit Malhotra, nephew of renowned Bollywood designer Manish Malhotra, has been associated with producer Karan Johar and his Dharma Productions for an extensive ten years. And his presence was what managed to snag the interest of both Khan and Kapoor.

“With someone like Punit directing, who I honestly thought was good looking enough to be an actor, and Dharma producing, it’s really a win-win situation,” said the actress, neatly summing up her motivation to work in I Hate Luv Storys.

Lastly, both the actors commented on the time and effort that went into designing their respective looks for the film.

But while Kapoor didn’t have to suffer too much (stylists taking care of her simple character’s attire), Khan had to toil away for months to achieve his lean, effortlessly sexy physique.

“We wanted it such that even if he’s wearing a shirt, people should easily be able to tell that he’s extremely fit. And so I worked, and then worked some more,” stated Khan as he recalled the weeks of dieting and exercising.

“But it’s all completely worth it if people like the movie and our work in it. Seriously, that’s all that matters - it’s the bottom line.”

Well, here’s hoping that the I Hate Luv Storys makes more of an impression at the box office and on the audience than some disastrous features we’ve recently been treated to.