Koel Mullick in Kalimpong. Picture by Chinlop Fudong Lepcha

Kalimpong, Nov. 20: Next Valentine’s Day, multiplex audiences in Bengal may well be romancing with Koel Mullick and Jisshu Sengupta in director Ringo’s second feature film Love.

Though the duo have acted together in two films already, Love, they said, is their first out-and-out romantic movie. Based on Erich Segal’s celebrated novel Love Story, the film is being made with the urban audience in mind. “Without leaning away from the original story, we have localised it,” said Ringo.

The crew is in Kalimpong for a nine-day shoot in different locations of the town and adjoining areas. “It is a low-budget film aimed at the multiplex audience. Such films should become a new trend in Bengali cinema,” said the director.

Expressing delight in being able to capture the beauty of the locales here, particularly Mt Kanchenjunga, Ringo thanked the weather god for it. “I have shot in Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, but Kalimpong this time was a treat. I have not seen the Kanchenjunga as beautiful as this,” he gushed.

Koel, who has shot two of her previous films here, echoed Ringo. “I don’t see why people should look to shoot in other parts of India and abroad when you have such beautiful locales in north Bengal,” she said.

In the film, Koel plays the character of Ria Fernandes, the daughter of a Kalimpong baker, who is in love with Rahul (played by Jisshu), the son of a rich news magnate Aveek Ray (George Baker).

“This is my first film with Ringo and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Koel and I go back about eight or nine years and we are very good friends. Our chemistry should come out in the film,” said Jisshu.

Love is slated to be released around Valentine’s Day.