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Guns and roses

DIRECTOR’S WISHLIST Saif and Kareena add the romantic quotient to the tale of terror

With just a few days left for the release of his debut directorial effort “Kurbaan”, Rensil D’Silva is burning the midnight oil to ensure that his gallant effort has no last minute slip-ups.

“Many of the best of films totter on their last leg,” says Rensil of his romantic thriller starring real-life couple Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor, in their first-ever romantic pairing.

Currently the director and screenplay writer is adding finishing touches to the music video of “Kurbaan hua”, a song that’s already up on the popularity charts. Karan Johar’s banner Dharma Productions is producing the movie.

“‘Kurbaan’ is Karan’s idea. To be fair, it is a cross genre — part romantic, part thriller. I am very confident of the product” says Rensil, a renowned advertising professional best known for his fantastic screenplay for “Rang De Basanti” (RDB).

Rensil thinks the appeal of the film lies in its concept. “The love story also encompasses international concerns over terrorism so it gives me a wider reach as a filmmaker. Also it’s not linear,” he says.

So should one expect something on the lines of RDB’s back and forth treatment? “In ‘RDB’, we had the liberty to go back and forth in time, but here it is different. If I am cross-cutting, it is between locations and scenes,” explains Rensil.

“I’d actually say there are very few films based on this topic. It is an international concern and filmmakers are reflecting this. But besides ‘New York’ and ‘My Name Is Khan’ (MNIK), I can’t think of other names. Personally, if I were to categorise ‘New York’, it would be a drama and though I haven’t seen MNIK, I assume it is also a drama. I don’t think the themes overlap at all,” says Rensil.

But “Kurbaan” has been in the news for more than one reason. If the first visual of a bare-backed Kareena and a bullet-wounded Saif had audiences shocked, there is now a buzz that the couple’s on-screen smooches may be the highest ever for Bollywood.

Rensil will begin work on writing Shekhar Kapoor’s languishing project “Paani” and is also writing the screenplay for a Mani Ratnam film. “I have two other very exciting stories for which I am developing screenplays. Hopefully I will get money to direct them,” he smiles.

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