Sara Ali Khan and Kartik Aaryan will be seen together in Imtiaz Ali’s Love Aaj Kal, which is set to hit theatres on 14 February. The movie is a second installment to the 2009 film that starred Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone in lead roles. The Quint caught up with Sara and Kartik, wherein they spoke about the evolution of love, working with Imtiaz Ali, their favourite love stories and more.
Do you remember the first time you watched ‘Love Aaj Kal’? Both of you?
Kartik: Yeah, I was studying and I watched it in the theatre with my friends. I really enjoyed it. It remains one of the most iconic love stories and a film which had great music, great performances and great direction. So yeah, I remember watching ‘Love Aaj Kal’.
Sara: So do I. I watched it with my father. And I also thoroughly enjoyed the film. I think that it was ahead of its times. And the way Imtiaz sir writes his characters, you know, he so beautifully describes the greyness in people as opposed to just leaving it black and white. It’s these nuances that I so enjoyed watching as a viewer and I’m now so privileged I’ve enjoyed them as an actor.
So now it has been 11 years since we have seen ‘Love Aaj Kal’. Even the modern love that they showed in ‘Love Aaj Kal’ - how have things changed from then and now?
Sara: I think that love is an emotion. And the basic ethos of love kind of remains the same. Or at least one hopes that it does remain the same, because there’s something sanctimonious about it. But as far as the expression of love is concerned, I think that’s something that changes with time. And I think that’s something very people specific also. I think that what our film somewhere down the line is showcasing is that it’s not just gender-specific anymore. I think that the roles in relationships have kind of changed. And they don’t revolve around gender as a deciding factor anymore.
Kartik, how difficult was it to play a modern guy and then go 30 years back. So, which one was more difficult to play?
Kartik: Both of them. Honestly speaking, yeah, I don’t... They’re two different characters. They don’t... like I was playing Veer, who is from the present time and Raghu, who’s from kal in the 90s. I think Raghu and Veer are two different entities or characters. There is a part of me in both of them. But Imtiaz sir really made it easy. His prep and all the classes, body language workshops, readings, all the sessions have really been, it’s been an acting institute for me.
Sara you have been dealing with trolls like a pro. But how was it to deal with the memes?
Sara: I think that you have to kind of take it with a little bit of humour somewhere down the line. I think that everything should be taken in moderation. There’s always positive criticism to take and inculcate in yourself. I’m very, very new at the job. Like three films old.
But did it bother you?
Sara: Of course it did. I can’t pretend that it didn’t. But like I said, I think that there’s a positive learning to take out of it, and there are some trolls especially, who have nothing positive to give you, and you have to be able to pinpoint them and not give them the satisfaction of bringing you down. And then you look at things holistically also, which is also very helpful. You know, you can get trolled for one scene at one minute, 43 seconds of the trailer. And you can keep going on and on about that, or you can move forward and see the reactions to the other shots of the trailer. See the reactions that you’ve received for three songs, all of which have been positive and you can thank your lucky stars that you wake up every morning with the opportunity to do what you love to do. So, it really is about the way that you look at things always.
About love stories. Now, this is a love story. I just want to ask, do you remember any love story from your families? Like your grandparents’, that you have heard and that has touched your heart?
Kartik: I mean, all I can remember is my mom and dad’s love story. So, it was an arranged marriage and they never met each other before, and my dad is from Gwalior. And my mom and dad, they’re both from doctor families. So, I think it’s just that they met through families and fell in love later. After, or actually during the ceremonies, they fell in love. I would always idolize that kind of love that I want in my life. They talk to each other, they spend so much time with each other, they eat together and the way they eat together also shows there is so much love.
Sara: I think it sounds very cheesy, but I think it’s my mom’s love story with me. Because I think that you know, we’re so programmed to kind of look at love just through the lens of romance. But I think that love eventually is about selfless sacrifice. And I think that’s what she’s done for me. And I think she continues to do that for me. I think that’s a good love story.
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