Rahul Dev Bose and Megha Chowdhury pair up for a new-age rom-com Khanikta Premer Mato

Rahul: Ujaan is slightly crazy. When I was reading the script I realised he’s very far off from how I am as a person. But the best part about the character is moments when he’s so likeable. He finds the perfect partner in Mohona who also has some loose screws in her head.

Megha: Honestly, I have got a lot of similarities between Mohona’s character and myself. It’s very rare that we can play a character which is so close to who we are as a person. Mohona is layered. On face value she is fun, picks up a harmless fight, but deep down there are other emotions. She’s a modern independent girl who has her own agency but also wants an emotional partner.

I just copied one of my friends inside out and then there are moments when I am myself. This is such a fun script that I didn’t want to over prepare, but rather feel my way through it.

Megha: For the first time I adapted to the idea of shooting 10-15 scenes in a day. The industries that I frequently work in, we do 3-4 scenes a day. Here we have done 22 scenes a day. I had the question that how can one make something this good in such a time crunch. But I think its adaptability. A good actor or technician adapts to the way an industry works. I felt the team knew the drill. All we had to do is know our lines and be prepared. In terms of fun, I’ll say my look is very different. I have short curly hair. That used to take 20-25 minutes every day.

Rahul: She and I have a very interesting dynamic. She started her work outside Bengal and I started in Bengal and am now venturing outside. So, I am always at an awe of how much time they have in hand, because here I am used to working at a quicker pace. As far as fun is concerned, once Durbar (Sharma) and I were shooting numerous scenes a day. The only problem was we were not getting a break to even eat. I had a gap so I ate but Durbar was in every scene. I went to him and said I’ll give a few retakes and you eat. These fun things actually brought the team closer through great bonding.

Megha: One thing I really admire about Rahul is his innate quality of taking care of people.  

Rahul: Love is still the same as it always was. You set yourself aside for the person you love, whether it’s your family or partner. Today, love is more about the person for whom you stop hesitating. I have an issue with people ‘falling in love’ because I think people grow in love. Attraction is what you get when you fall in love and then you put in a lot of effort to make it work.

Megha: Love is love! You love your family, siblings, pets, partners etc. Today, with several options and a lot of exposure people don’t want to settle. That is where I think there’s a problem in relationships not working out today. Also, how your profess love, that has changed today. Otherwise love is still the same.

Megha: I do agree to what you are saying but I like to confront. I don’t suppress things in me. The problem is we have a lot of expectations but we fail to speak about it. So communication is very important to have a grounded foundation in your relationships.

Rahul: I think since time immemorial men have been rubbish in communicating their feelings. The legacy continues. Earlier men were never in touch with their feelings; and today they are scared to communicate how they feel.

Megha: Also the conditioning. The idea that a woman has to love men more. But with awareness maybe men will also be expressive.

Rahul: I think unconditioning has already happened. There are phases when men would be expressive but then they have been pushed back because of it. If two people are in sync with each other communication can happen with just a look. It doesn’t necessarily need words. But its difficult to have that level of communication because people are very scared to open up overall. And even women are scared of committing. So yes communication is tough.

Rahul: This is very subjective. But I honestly think everything has boiled down to having a screen in the middle of conversations. At one point we had to go to a girl and approach her. Now, it happens through text. Things change when you put a screen in the middle. As we progress, romance is becoming more about a grand gesture. The grander the gesture, the more difficult it is to keep doing it over and over again. I have always felt romance is in the little things.

Megha: I am a Gen-Z. Growing up we have had a huge influence of rom-coms in our lives. This has died down today because we don’t get to see rom-coms anymore. We don’t know how to love. There are no references of how to approach a guy or a girl. When you see something which has been made two decades back, the references seem slightly dated. We need good representation of romance in today’s time which is missing. Today Saiyaara did so well because it’s the portrayal of the romance and the love. We all want to see a good romantic movie and get lost in that world. But sadly, no one’s making it, so we made it.

Megha: To some extent. The circumstances that we are in has also changed a lot. Most movies are based on their timeline. Very rare movies are made way ahead of its time. Since today you have to take into account aspects like social media, dating apps etc; someone needs to crack that code of getting a mix of the old school and the current scenario.

Megha: I really like Anushka – Virat, Suriya and Jyothika, Rahul – Debadrita.

Rahul: Riteish – Genelia. They are very real.

Megha: I have another project by Mainak Bhaumik and two releases in the South.

Rahul: I am shooting for another series soon.

Khanikta Premer Moto is streaming on Platform 8