'No point making a film if it doesn't make you feel something'

Shahid Kapoor says he grew up watching love stories on the big screen and believes that the genre has the potential to do well in theatres if it is done on a certain scale with good music and visuals.

The actor is looking forward to the release of his new film Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya, pegged as a unique romantic comedy that revolves around the relationship between a regular guy and a humanoid. Also starring Kriti Sanon, the movie releases in theatres on February 9.

"I have loved watching love stories on the big screen and even the songs. I remember seeing Shava Shava (from Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham) for the first time on the big screen or watching Aati Kya Khandala (from Ghulam) on the big screen.

"There is some magic, but the song has to have that value... The visual has to have that kind of feeling that you want to whistle and clap. So we've tried to get all that into this film, but one genre cannot survive 365 days of the year. It can be the flavour of the season," Shahid said.

In the last few months, big-budget action spectacles have done well at the box office, limiting the space for other genres, with 12th Fail, Zara Hatke Zara Bachke and Dream Girl 2 being exceptions.

When asked about the shrinking space for intimate stories in theatres, Shahid said a transition seems to have happened during the coronavirus pandemic when viewers started believing that only 'slightly larger scale stuff' is for the big screen.

"That's a question that every film should pose itself before choosing to go to the big screen: 'Why should people come to watch me in the theatre?' We've asked ourselves that question (with this film).

"You need a few genres, but you need good films in those genres, which make people feel like it was worth to come to the theatre. If there's only vanilla available and there's no other flavour in the store, then what's the point? We'll be living (in) a very limited reality, both as actors and as audiences," he said.

The 42-year-old actor said he was surprised when he heard the story of Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya, directed by first-time film-makers Amit Joshi and Aradhana Sah, because the film touches upon the relevant topic of artificial intelligence and its impact on day-to-day life.

Shahid said the team had extensive discussions about how to execute the idea in a presentable way.

"We pushed the envelope with SIFRA, the robot, and then we started pushing the envelope with AI... We're already seen that happen digitally with the movies. I would say probably 80 per cent of the movies that are doing well on the big screen have more VFX than acting," he said.

"We know that in movies, the simulation is as good as reality. Look at Avatar, everything was simulated, but it was real. That (AI) is something that has entered our universe, whether it will enter something in such close proximity... in a personal relationship is what's different about this film. And that's a question that we are putting out there in an entertaining and a fun way," he added.

The actor is hopeful Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya, which he described as a 'genre-breaking idea', clicks with the theatre-going audience.

"We have to see whether we can convince and make people feel because there's no point making a film if it doesn't make you feel something. That's why we push the love story part of it. We could have positioned it differently. We'll just call it a family entertainer... But I think we've tried to achieve something a little deeper."