KOEL

It was his second film and her first, but they both got it right in their very first attempt together. After the success of Nater Guru in 2003, Jeet and Koel teamed up for three more films ? Bandhan, Manik and this year?s first hit Juddha. On the floors is their biggest venture till date ? Shubha Drishti, riding high on the fame of Rajshri Films ? and one more with the king of potboilers, Swapan Saha.

Though keen to cement their top spots in the quicksand of Tollywood, both stars are wary of over-exposure as a lead pair. So if Jeet has paired up with Swastika Mukherjee for Biresh Chatterjee?s Saathihara, Koel is starring opposite Jisshu Sengupta in Anup Sengupta?s forthcoming film.

?People may not like us (together) for a very long time. Seeing the same pair over and over again can be boring? And as an actress I should be able to give my best despite who my co-actor is. But there?s a huge dearth of heroes in Tollywood, so the choice is limited. Heroines are coming in droves,? laughs Koel, who had almost decided to call it quits while shooting for Nater Guru.

?Frankly, I thought my first film would be my last because I wanted to finish my studies. Then there was Raja Sen?s Devipaksha, Shudhu Tumi and Badshah. Bandhan offered me a double role that was very challenging, and I took it up as it came to me so early in life. After Nater Guru, here was Jeet with me again and producers started having faith in us. We have a very good screen chemistry and I think that has clicked for us. Fresh faces and a fresh look was all that mattered,? feels the daughter of Ranjit Mullick.

If she looks completely comfortable sharing screen space with Jeet these days, the start of the partnership wasn?t quite so smooth. ?I wasn?t very comfortable with Jeet in Nater Guru. I thought I was stiff while doing the romantic scenes,? admits Koel.

?As we worked more together, the inhibitions started fading. Now, we have a very good understanding,? says Koel, flashing the smile that is lighting up the Bengali big screen.

JEET

Romantic hero, boy-next-door or action man ? Jeet is comfortable in any role his audiences like to see him in. After TV serials in Mumbai and a Telugu film, it was Tollywood where he has settled down in. After a string of 10 films in four years, the lanky youth is a serious ? though still distant ? contender for Prosenjit?s number one slot.

Dismissing any talk of being in the rat race, Jeet says: ?I don?t believe in ranking. I think I am in a better position than a few others and there?s a lot to do. And I also don?t follow any particular image. I try and mould myself according to the character.?

Having worked with Jisshu (Premi) and Mithun Chakraborty (Juddha), Jeet doesn?t have any qualms sharing screen space with ?rivals? either. ?I wouldn?t mind working with other heroes. It?s fun working in a team. But while shooting for Juddha, I was aware that I was working with a big hero? bigger than me. So I had to be a little more cautious and put more effort,? says Jeet, whose lady loves on screen have ranged from Priyanka Trivedi to Reshmi Ghosh, Rituparna Sengupta to Chandana Bhowmick.

Yet, it?s Koel that he has stuck to the most and scored the maximum hits.

So, what has clicked for him and Koel as a couple? ?The freshness, which springs from the screen chemistry. Our viewers are mostly youths, so they can relate to us very well,? feels Jeet, an admirer of Uttam-Suchitra. ?In Bollywood, I think Amitabh and Rekha were excellent, Kajol and Shah Rukh were also very good.?

Yet, like Koel, he apprehends an overkill. ?It?s very important to pair up with other actors. You have to keep changing, otherwise it gets monotonous. Uttam-Suchitra may have survived in memory more than the rest, but even both of them had worked with other actors and actresses,? Jeet reasons.