''This film belongs to the lead actress,'' Ammy Virk on his upcoming film 'Sufna'

Manpriya Singh

When a film is scheduled for Valentine’s Day release, further pegged to be a love story, listeners are often subjected to one rhetoric, ‘It’s a love story with a difference’, or it’s a contemporary love story. But unfortunately just as often it turns out to be a clichéd love story.

All apprehensions are firmly put to rest by director Jagdeep Sidhu for his upcoming Sufna, when he says, “It’s a love story of ordinary people. In fact, so ordinary that they never went to school, for them the problems consist of earning their daily bread and yet they are in love.”

Joining him at the trailer launch of the film are lead actors Ammy Virk, Tania and musicians B Praak and, of course, Jaani. With that statement we are happy to say goodbye to clichéd college romances. He adds, “In fact, the crop of cotton and its cultivation has not been depicted so far in Pollywood, this film touches upon that too.”

As for Ammy, before we can question on the more than an hour delay on his part, his jokes make it amply clear, “I used to reach the sets at 10 or 11 am. These people would be already there on the sets, working hard. Whatever my producer saved Rs 20 to 25 lakh from here and there, I think my expenses and delays nullified those savings.”

Adds Ammy, “But I had my own film under production simultaneously, so I used to reach there also a little late only.”

His leading lady Tania is happy to be uniting once again with the actor after Qismat, as Ammy describes, “This film belongs to her, at least 90 to 95 per cent of it. I know there will be fans who will say, Ammy Bai sira, but still it belongs to her.”

She’s living her character

A film belonging to leading ladies is yet to become common in Pollywood, and the concept of village belles and ordinary beauty on celluloid is anything but ordinary. What with the not a hair out of place as the heroine hops and skips amidst crops and in mustard fields! But in this case Tania sports heavily freckled face, a first for Punjabi cinema. “Heroines are supposed to be perfect, I believe I am an actress and I was just living that character. Moreover, we did do a look test before.”

Notes that connect

Understandably and still high on the success of Akshay Kumar-starrer Filhaal, Jaani and B Praak are just as rooted in Pollywood. Laughs B Praak, “We can’t stay in Mumbai, this is where out heart is. Moreover, if you noticed, even though Filhaal is a Hindi song, its stanzas are still in Punjabi.”

Their approach and philosophy to music, just like their music itself, come from the reality around, which is why they believe it connects. “It’s what I experienced, or have observed in people around me,” adds Jaani, who personally admits to being a fan of and being influenced by Gulzar. “Moreover, 90 per cent of the people have had their heart broken.” So will Sufna make us cry too? “I suggest you carry a handkerchief along,” says Ammy Virk.

manpriya@tribunemail.com