Reliving age-old classic romance

Hailing from Delhi, Aashim Gulati tells us he aspired to be an actor ever since he was in school. The model-turned-actor is all set to mark his Bollywood debut with Tum Bin 2 this week. In a quick chat, he talks about his multiple auditions, his equations with co-stars Neha Sharma and Aditya Seal, the casting couch and more.

How did Tum Bin 2 happen to you?
I was in Delhi when I met casting director Mukesh Chabbra in his office. I went for the audition and the script was in English. The then called me for a second round in Mumbai. There were about four rounds of auditions and the final one was with Anubhav sir (Sinha, director). They then told me they would let me know. Interestingly, I reached late for the final auditions, since I was shooting for something else the whole day. Till then I hadn’t even received the final draft. He saw my audition and said if I could do the film with honesty, I was on.

Do you think the casting couch exists in Bollywood?
For me, it’s still a rumour or myth, because it’s still to happen with me [Laughs]. I have heard so many stories about it, though.  

Were you apprehensive about shooting the movie?
The fact we shot abroad was very exciting. There weren’t many apprehensions, because Anubhav sir always said that we made the film even before shooting for it. We had some aggressive script reading sessions. We finished 45 days of workshop in his office before we left for Scotland. I had sessions with my co-stars Aditya and Neha, and we were so well prepared. I was a little nervous, since this is my first movie, but when I was shooting on the sets, it went off well as I was in sync with my character. I didn’t believe we managed to make this film in just 40 days!

What’s your role like?
My name is Amar; they retained the name from the prequel. Incidentally, Raqesh Vashisht, who played Amar in Tum Bin, happens to be my distant cousin. My character is kind of a one-woman man, loves skiing, he’s adventurous, an adrenaline junkie and loves his fiancée Taran, played by Neha. And then things change.

How was working with Neha and Aditya?
Neha is so chilled out and such a fun person. Aditya has been a child artiste and he knew the technicalities of making a movie. They both came with their experiences on the sets. I was new, so for me, it was a learning experience and an interesting journey. Both Neha and Aditya are really good actors and we bonded well from day one. Apart from this, it was such an honour to share screen space with Kanwaljit sir (Singh). I couldn’t have asked for more.

The audience hasn’t really been receptive to romantic movies in the recent past. Do you think Tum Bin 2 will do well?
I didn’t plan by debut at first, and I’m not in a position to choose genres. It was just the story of Tum Bin 2 that moved me. When I read the script, I just told myself that if I could feel this way, the audience was sure to be impacted. I haven’t seen many romantic movies this year, but what I can say is that Tum Bin 2 has a relatable story. I feel the idea of romance has been lost over time. The beauty of this movie is that it has retained the old school romance, and kept it alive.