Onir is introducing Kashmiri boy Zain Khan Durrani in his romantic film — Kuchh Bheege Alfaaz, that’s releasing on February 16. The debutant actor, who plays a RJ in the film, will romance Geetanjali Thapa. Kuchh Bheege Alfaaz is a modern-day love story, in the age of social media, as seen through two primary characters — RJ Alfaaz (played by Zain) and meme artist Archana, (played by Geetanjali).
Says Zain, “RJ Alfaaz is a very romantic person and that’s something I could connect with. I met several RJs on how they work and got interesting inputs from them. In radio, your voice counts a lot; it’s a different form of art. I learnt about it by observation.”
Kuchh Bheege... is quite an unconventional film to make his debut with but Zain explains that when he read the script, he realised it’s the best debut for a newcomer.
“It’s a love story and conventional in every manner. In fact, it’s Onir’s most commercial movie. Both the characters have issues in their life, and that made me all the more confident about taking up the project. It’s high on content, with a feel good factor,” says Zain.
He says that the film will come as a breath of fresh air, especially in today’s time, when there is so much hatred around us. “It is treated with sensitivity by Onir, which has added all the needed flavours to Kucch Bheege...,” he adds.
When asked about his experience of working with Onir, Zain says, “It’s a dream come true. I have been waiting for three years for the film and it’s finally happening. I always wanted to work in this genre and the movie has left me feeling a lot better. It’s been a privilege.”
Coming from Kashmir, where there are no theatres and no scope to follow his dreams, making the shift must have been a tough journey. Zain agrees and says that while living in Kashmir, his desire to have a career in films, looked like a distant dream. “I used to watch films with my father on Video cassettes and DVDs. Only when we went out of Srinagar, could I watch films in theatres. I used to do plays in school, so the love for the art was always there. In 2014, I had auditioned for Shab. But Onir asked me to train with him instead and said when a suitable script comes up, we would collaborate,” he adds.
With Kuchh Bheege Alfaaz, India’s oldest music label, Saregama has ventured into movie production under their banner Yoodlee Films.