He stole teenybopper hearts in his debut film “Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na” but actor Imran Khan didn’t quite manage to weave the same magic in his next two movies.
As he returns to the screen in the romance “I Hate Luv Storys”, the 27-year-old will be hoping audiences have forgotten his past mistakes.
Khan spoke to Reuters about his latest film, why he hates fairy tale romances and whether his age is a deterrent in getting good roles.
Q: Could you start off by talking about your role in ‘I Hate Luv Storys’?
A: “Well, essentially, ‘I Hate Luv Storys’ is a rom-com, about a boy and a girl who hate each other. But what I liked about it is what Punit (the director) brought to it, which was a cheeky, deadpan sense of humour. The humour in the film is not the obvious kind, but it is very clever, and essentially, we are making fun of ourselves, which I loved.”
Q: What kind of love stories do you actually hate?
A: “The ones I hate are the ones that are too perfect. The fairytale romances that are not only unfulfilling but also present an unrealistic picture of how a relationship works. No relationship is perfect and any film that shows a mushy, fairytale romance, whether it is Hollywood or any of our films is off my list.
“I prefer films like ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ where in the end the girl says to him ‘this is who I am, these are the things I like to do, if you are ok, then we can go ahead’. That is what relationships are like. You can never find the perfect person but you can accept the person for what they are.”
Q: Do you think Bollywood has changed in the way we deal with love?
A: “Well, I think the obstacles in the path of love have changed. They have become internal rather than external. Instead of stuff like religion, caste or family, now the problem is our own selves and the way we think which is exactly what it is like in ‘I Hate Luv Storys’ and a reflection of the way we think.
“I don’t think urban audiences will accept a love story where caste is the problem between two lovers even though I have seen such incidents myself.”
Q: You are one of the few younger heroes on the scene. Does your age hamper or help you get the kind of roles you want?
A: “I think it works both ways. When ‘Jaane Tu’ came out, a lot of college kids identified with it but those kids will have different tastes by the time I am 30. It is about growing up with your audience.
“Of course, there will be certain roles I will not be able to do at this stage but honestly I don’t think I have it in me to play those kinds of in-depth roles yet. All that will come in its own time.”
Q: Do you think good roles are being written for your heroes your age in Bollywood?
A: “I am not sure. I think we are still yet to write something compelling or something that will become a phenomenon but also, I am not sure if that can be written.
“I don’t think people my age have very serious problems and they shouldn’t. So the films we do will also be light-hearted.”