EXCLUSIVE: Advait Chandan reveals that Aamir Khan has a cameo in son Junaid’s Loveyapa; will the father and son screen space? Director also reveals, “Initially, I was not sure of Junaid and Khushi Kapoor’s casting”

A few days are left for the release of Loveyapa, which marks the theatrical debut for Aamir Khan’s son Junaid Khan and Boney Kapoor and Sridevi’s daughter Khushi Kapoor. Bollywood Hungama spoke to its director Advait Chandan about the film and a lot more. Advait has a great sense of humour which came to the fore during this interaction.4 days are left for Loveyapa’s release. What is going on in your mind right now?You know, last night, I had a dream that I went to take my exam but ended up going to the wrong exam centre! Toh exam ke pehle jo feeling aati hai na, woh chal rahi hai abhi. No matter how much you study, you always feel the jitters before the examination.You have a young, fresh star cast. How did they come on board?Firstly, even I am very young. My birth date is falsely mentioned on Google. In fact, I am younger than Junaid and Khushi!On a serious note, I got this project on a platter. Madhu Mantena had the rights (of the Tamil original film Love Today) and he had already approached Junaid and Khushi. My problem was that I was not sure of Junaid and Khushi’s casting. I had never met Khushi before while I was unsure if Junaid would be the right fit for the role. But we spent some time together, did rehearsals and readings. Slowly, I started feeling confident about them.Before you came on board, what was your bond like with Junaid, especially since you have worked with his father for almost two decades?We didn’t have much of a bond. I shot 20 minutes of Laal Singh Chaddha (2022) with him as an experiment. That’s how we connected. On Loveyapa, we connected even more. Iss film kepehle mera Junaid ke saath gehra rishta nahin tha. I was Aamir sir’s manager and was looking after his work. Here, we worked together. Rishta ab bana hai hamara.How was it working with them?It was great. They came on time and learned their lines thoroughly. They also agreed to all my instructions. Junaid is very different from his character Gucci. He had to work very hard to find the Gucci inside him. Today, when I look back, there could have been no better Gucci or even Baani for that matter.Is there a possibility that Aamir Khan has a cameo in Loveyapa?He does. He’s there for two shots. When you watch the film, you’ll definitely see him.Often, we see that filmmakers don’t use the real name of apps in films. Instead, they create their own apps with an interface similar to WhatsApp, Gmail, Facebook etc. In the original film, Love Today, this wasn’t done. In this regard, what can we expect in Loveyapa? In one shot in the trailer, we do hear the mention of Tinder...At places, I have used the real names of the apps and, in some places, I haven’t. This was due to legal issues. Secondly, when I say Tinder, you immediately understand what it stands for and what the impact will be if a girlfriend catches her partner using it. But I haven’t opted for WhatsApp and Instagram’s interface. This is because the look of these apps keeps updating. If I decide to show WhatsApp the way it looks right now, my film might seem dated in the near future. But if I come up with a suggestive interface of a messaging and social media app, it’ll look fresh even after 4-5 years as it’s not copied from any app. I faced this issue with Secret Superstar (2017). That’s why, I did a little differently here.Loveyapa clashes with Himesh Reshammiya’s Badass Ravi Kumar. Your thoughts? Maza aayega yaar! At the end of the day, people should head to the cinemas. If Badass Ravi Kumar works, I’ll also benefit. If Jawan and Pathan succeed, our film also has better chances. I want more films to succeed in cinemas and that the habit of going to cinemas shouldn’t diminish. Whether they come for Loveyapa or Badass Ravi Kumar or Chhava or Deva, they should come to cinemas and that’s what matters. Period.All your films have arrived with a clash. Laal Singh Chaddha was released with Raksha Bandhan (2022) while Secret Superstar clashed with Golmaal Again (2017)...Yes, and it’s a production and distribution call. I don’t think about it. My job is to make a good film.Also Read: Aamir Khan to host special screening of Loveyapa for Sachin Tendulkar