Saqib Saleem ventures into romcom territory with the March 9 film Dil Juunglee, co-starring Taapsee Pannu. But the huge one in his career arrives in the form of his Id biggie Race 3, with Salman Khan. A t2 chat with Delhi boy Saqib on career and cricket.

What can you tell us about Dil Juunglee?

It’s a fun, sweet film and I say this very honestly. It’s not a film that I am going to promote as groundbreaking cinema… it’s not! It’s about two people (Saqib’s Sumit and Taapsee’s Koroli) who are in love, but aren’t sure if they are made for each other. Over a span of seven-eight years, they keep meeting, but they still can’t make up their minds if they should be together. In a love story, one has to follow a template: boy-girl meet, separate, meet again, end up or not end up together… that happens in every love story. But how do you spice it up? How do you make it fun? That’s done by adding some quirks and nuances to the love story, which our director Aleya (Sen) has done.

The majority of the people working on the film — me, Taapsee, the director and some others — are all from Delhi. There is a Delhi in the film that you will really enjoy… the flavour is very real. There’s a lot of comedy… it’s a perfect date film. 

It sounds like the quintessential millennial love story…

Hundred per cent. The film reflects the youth of today… their approach towards relationships and how non-committal they are about love. When we were all 18, ‘I love you’ happened in our heads as soon as the girl looked at us and smiled! (Laughs) At 24, our understanding of love had changed a little based on the life experiences we had. Also, you have less inhibitions about expressing your love at 18 than at 24 because by that time, you would have built some boundaries around you based on the fear of people’s reactions. At 28, you are mature enough to know what you want from love. That’s what this film is all about.

We all decided that there should be no melodrama in this film. In real life, no one says, ‘Main tumhare bina marr jaaungi!’ We’ve tried to keep it real, but then there is also some filmipana in it. That’s something I really enjoy because I am a huge filmi keeda. I hope when people go to watch this film with their dates, they feel it’s their story.

Taapsee Pannu and you did a music video called Tum ho toh lagta hai before this. Did that help your chemistry on this film?

That music video was also directed by Aleya. It was, in a way, an unsaid audition for us. Taapsee and I met for the first time on the sets of that music video and we really hit it off. We have the same kind of sense of humour, we love food and we love talking! (Laughs) Once we finished the video, Aleya put the germ of the Dil Juunglee script in my head. She had cast everyone else, except the main boy and girl. When she told me about the male lead — a Delhi boy who lives in Lajpat Nagar, is obsessed with building a body and wants to be an actor — I felt she was telling me what I was like at 21! After two-three days, Taapsee called me that she had said ‘Yes’ to the film and that I should too!  I read the script that night and okayed it.

What I really like about Taapsee is that there is no pretence. I can’t do small talk and neither can she. I never go for filmi parties… I get very uncomfortable when I know people are not making genuine conversation. Taapsee is just like me. That’s what I really love about that girl.

I’ve done about six-seven films before this. On every set, you hang out with your co-stars, but you kind of drift apart when the shoot gets over. With Dil Juunglee, all of us feel like a family. It’s been five months since we finished shooting, but we still hang out together and still look out for each other. If even 10 per cent of the fun we’ve had making this film translates on screen, we will have a good film. 

Come June, you crank it up by several notches with Race 3, the biggest film in your career so far…

Ya man! I am so excited about that! I got a call at 12.30 at night regarding the film and when I heard the script, I loved it. I was in college when I watched the first Race (2008) and at that time, I didn’t know that I would become an actor… and now I am doing Race 3! And I was like, ‘Is this for real?!’ That’s because, in my head, I’m still a middle-class Delhi boy… I don’t take all this very seriously. I came to Bombay from Delhi just seven years ago and now I am part of one of the biggest Bollywood franchises. You’ll see a different side of me in this film… lot of action. You will see me flying, kicking, shooting people… I’m having a lot of fun. I’ve shot for 35 days and I have another 35 to go. 

What was it like on set with Salman Khan?

When you first meet him, you do feel intimidated. But 10 minutes into the conversation, if he likes you, you will end up having the best time of your life. He’s a very people’s person… he likes people around him to be happy and he always looks out for those he cares for. He put me on to his action trainer and gym coach… he was very helpful. The set was one big family where we shot together, ate together, partied together…. When Salman bhai would have dinner, he would check if everybody had eaten. 

What’s your goal as an actor over the next five years?

I didn’t have plans to become an actor. But once I became one, I told myself that the chances I get to prove myself will not be a lot because I’ve come from the outside. I didn’t know anything about the industry… when I came in, I didn’t even know that ‘YRF’ stood for Yash Raj Films! (Laughs) I’ve come a long way from there. The goal now is to have a filmography like Aamir Khan… quality films spaced out over time. I’ve made mistakes, but I’ve learnt through them. I want to continue acting till the time I am alive. 

Your sister Huma Qureshi and you did the horror film Dobaara last year. Any more plans to act together?

The film didn’t do well, so Huma and I are on a detox from each other as far as work is concerned! (Laughs) We do want to work together… maybe a comedy film. We will soon announce a spate of films under our production banner. Even if we don’t act together, we will definitely be producing films together. 

Finally, we hear that you are planning to set up a cricket camp-cum-clinic soon…

Yes. I’ve been a cricketer all my life. I’ve played state-level cricket for Delhi. But I realised I wasn’t good enough to play for the country. I still play it and I am obsessed with the game. You will find me sometimes watching highlights of matches played in 1975! (Laughs) Now, I’ve decided to give back to the game and I am starting this clinic in Delhi where we will take on 30-40 kids from less affluent backgrounds and coach them and help them showcase their talent on the big stage. It should kick off in the next couple of months.