These young guns are set to turn your head mushy, and your world tinted red, HARSHAVARDHAN RANE and MAWRA HOCANE from SANAM TERI KASAM talk love with SHUBARNA MUKERJI SHU.
The greatest love story…
Mawra: My parents’ love story is what I really idolise. It’s the classic old school love like that of our film SANAM TERI KASAM. Their love has been everything love should be – compassionate, selfless and honest. Unfortunately, theirs is the kind of love that is very rare to find in this era!
Harshavardhan: For me, it has to be the love that was shared between my father and me. I grew up in a culture where we did not know that kids could speak up in front of a father, but he was not too strict. I fondly remember him as a warm yet assertive man. He was raw, not very articulate and a man of very few words, but whenever he spoke, it used to be the essence of that situation. I was his big fan and always saw him as a hero, though he was not at all filmi or heroic in a filmi way. He was heroic in the real sense. I grew up observing his style, his grace, his warmth, his rawness… I used to adore the way he would talk politely and respectfully to women, and be kind to other men. I used to love his body language, the way his hands moved while talking or the way he used to lean on a wall while he was reading. Though I ran away from my house at the age of 16 and he is no more, I remember him so clearly as if he were still around. When I got a TV show he’d called me up and the tone of his voice told me how much he loved me and how proud he was of the fact that I was making good use of my life. For me, it was a love story of few or no words at all, a love story of respect and longing!
What about on celluloid? Which has been the greatest love story thus far?
Mawra: ROCKSTAR – it was not a typical love story. It’s a story of two human beings evolving so much because of love. So intense and raw. I like how human cravings and needs and growth were put across so beautifully.
Harshavardhan: The Ajay Devgn and Aishwarya Rai film RAINCOAT. For me, it showed pure love, longing and so many layers of sacrifice, comfort, lies and honesty. How one smiles through misery to keep the lover smiling, how they even use white lies just to comfort the partner…
So, according to you, who shares the best chemistry on screen?
Harshavardhan: Ranveer-Deepika. I think they are connected at different levels… They bounce off each other in scenes, and that’s a
blessing for any two actors. Also they look so good together.
Mawra: Yes, Deepika-Ranveer Singh. Hands down!
A love story you would like to recreate…
Mawra: DIL TOH PAGAL HAI or DILWALE DULHANIYA LE JAYENGE, basically the quintessential old school Bollywood romance!
Harshavardhan: I would love to be a part of a script like SADMA. For me, it’s a cult movie, where the love is painful, one-sided, so full of hurt, longing and complex. Kamal (Haasan) sir’s performance is unmatchable, but the idea of any man immersed in selfless love is the greatest for me.
While romance is truly something our films feed on, now all romances are bang-on! Which one makes it to the mark for you?
Mawra: There are some aces by Shah Rukh Khan, when it comes to romance scenes. It is really difficult to pick one! It could be the piano scene from KUCH KUCH HOTA HAI or the ‘Aur kya…’ scene from PHIR BHI DIL HAI HINDUSTANI. He has nailed it, still nails and will nail all the romantic scenes till eternity!
Harshavardhan: One scene that comes to mind is that from GANGS OF WASSEYPUR between Nawazuddin and Huma… ‘film dekhney chalogi?’
While romance comes easy, intimacy is trickier. Which is the hottest intimate scene that has stayed with you?
Mawra: ‘Ang laga de…’ from GOLIYON KI RASLEELA: RAM LEELA. Love the vibe! It’s hot, it’s raging and, as an actor, I know it’s the most difficult zone to hit the chord just right! And Deepika and Ranveer were flawless.
Harshavardhan: Somehow when you talk about intimate scenes the one that comes to my mind is that from FIGHT CLUB between Brad Pitt and Helena Bonham Carter in his dilapidated house…
