Romantic comedy is one of the most exploited genres in Bollywood and actor Saif Ali Khan comes with a good baggage of such movies, but director Raj Nidimoru believes the actor's familiarity with rom-com is actually a blessing for their upcoming release Happy Ending.
"We were aware that Saif comes with a good baggage of romantic comedies and love stories. So, we figured out that he is the right person to have a take on them. He plays a scriptwriter in the film, who is against such stories but has to write one," Raj told PTI in an interview.
Raj and his co-collaborator Krishna DK, best known for their projects like 99, Shor In The City and Go Goa Gone, found a willing partner in Saif, who was keen to work with them again after the success of the zombie comedy.
"Our sense of humour is very similar. Saif is one actor who completely gives in to the character. He will never say no to do something on screen. It was a joy to watch him bring subtlety and freshness to a genre that has been around so much."
Raj says the movie, releasing this Friday, is a quirkier take on the genre of romantic comedies while also reflecting on their nature.
"We wanted to have a lighter take on romantic comedy. The film is very aware that it is a rom-com. We are hitting all the points till interval but despite being a bona fide romantic comedy, it goes beyond.
"The crux of every rom-com is its happy ending. But there is also this thought process whether there is anything like a 'happy ending' because end is always sad," he said. The film has Saif's wife Kareena Kapoor and his Kal Ho Naa Ho co-star Preity Zinta in cameo appearances.
"It is very gracious of such established stars to agree for a cameo. It shows how secure they are. Thankfully, they liked their characters a lot. Kareena and Preity's presence lends certain authenticity to the story. Plus, it is fun to see real-life couple split on screen," Raj said.
The director also found a fun way to include Saif in a cameo role in his own film.
"We were to bring another actor for the part but then we thought it would be funny if Saif does the cameo in his own movie. The role of Yogi is hilarious and a complete contrast to Saif's role as Yudi."
