Luv Ka The End is about getting even: Ashish Patil

Y-Films is coming up with a youth film titled Luv Ka The End. The film is directed by Bumpy, and stars Shraddha Kapoor and Taaha Shah in the lead roles. Luv Ka The End is the first production of Y-Films, a subsidiary of Yash Raj Films.

The film will hit the silver screen this Friday (May 6, 2011). Luv Ka The End is inspired by the American film, John Tucker Must Die (2005). Oneindia brings to you an exclusive interaction with the Producer Ashish Patil, who speaks about Luv Ka The End and it's making.

…its about when someone messes with you – don"t be sad, don"t get mad, get even !

Producer Ashish Patil tells Bhavana Sharma about the making of youth oriented films….

Tell us a little bit about your background
I am a regular middle-class Maharashtrian guy. I wrote advertising copy for a living at Contract Advertising until mom said “get a real job, you can"t be a writer for a living" and I did the 'sensible thing". I got an MBA, switched to strategy and account planning at Lintas. Had a killer strike rate for new business pitches. Then joined MTV and spent 12 years there. The last 5 as India head including P&L responsibility besides having led every single function there from marketing to programming, promos to sponsorship and sales, talent relations to show production and more. Eventually the movie bug bit me and here I am. At home there"s a wife and a 5 and a half-year-old boy who"s as crazy about music as I am. We spend our time fighting over toy bikes and Batman figurines.

How do you think youth oriented films can get better mileage and platform?
We"re the world"s youngest country with 70% of the population below 35. There"s 350 million people between 15-35 [that"s more than the population of USA & Japan put together!] The youth is also the single largest movie going audience both locally as well as overseas. However, there are no 'youth movies" being made for them. Given our focus, that should hopefully plug a big consumer gap and also juice a big business opportunity.

Does 'Luv Ka The End" resonate with today"s youth?
Luv Ka The End is based on a strong consumer insight – how romance is big, however, break-ups are frequent. And given that, girls are no longer gonna sit back and mope. They will not be sad, not get mad, but get even. The language, the characters, the styling, the music of the film is very young, very real. The audience will find that it reflects them and their worlds really well and hence should find a great connect with it.

Is the film different in some way?
More than different, it"s very new. The vibe, the characters, the treatment, the dialogues, the way it"s been shot. It marks the debut of almost 20 new talented actors and technicians across departments. It"s a first of its kind in terms of introducing the 'teen-flick" genre. The music is very fresh too… as is the background score.

What was the biggest challenge that you came across on this project? Is there one sticking point that sticks out from production that was really tough to get through?
Bringing in a film on time and on budget given that you want to keep costs under control is always tough. Especially when you"re working with so many newcomers – including me as a first time producer. From a production standpoint – the challenge was to make a film on a tight budget but making sure it looks shit hot. I think we"ve been quite successful on that front as it looks really good.

Could you tell us something about your 'Zany Characters"
Oh, there are loads. All the classics of a teen film, from the stud, the girl next door, the geek, the dumb blonde, the hottie, the gym rat, the horny fat boy, the hot teacher… they"re all there. This world of characters will be familiar yet new at the same time. The audience hopefully will find some of their friends, class-mates, neighbours, people from their address book and friend list in the film that they identify with, can laugh at and laugh with. The dialogues being so casual, conversational, so real and that will only help.

What is the marketing USP here?
We"ve also approached the marketing differently in terms of creating each element to have an inbuilt amplifier. Material that is not pushed down your throat but creates a pull and interest for consumers to get interested in, view, replay, like and share. Like the wicked animated teddy series inspired for the film or the Bros before Hos series that"s getting shared big time. Even the first song we released, shot entirely using stop motion – with 7 to 8000 still photos and about 450+ tshirt changes.

What are the other two projects under the Y-Films banner?
My other upcoming films are a rom com based against the backdrop of social networking and is interestingly titled Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge – a cheesy take off on one of YRF's own earlier releases and colloquial internet lingo used for making friend requests. Directed by Nupur Asthana, it introduces 4 new faces, Saqib Saleem, Saba Azad, Nishant Dahiya and Tara D'souza and marks the Our third film, is based on a tech based caper, which is the story of India's youngest and most twisted hacker titled Virus Diwan. With a tag line that reads 'Enter. Infect. Escape'. It also going to be the launch pad for Arjun Kapoor. Dressed in brand colors, the young new cast and crew, aptly represented the vibrancy, passion and energy of today's youth.

Does this film hand out a message?
If we wanted to deliver a message, we"d have used a courier service – not a film! We want to entertain you, not bore you with heavy messages. If at all… it"s about when someone messes with you – don"t be sad, don"t get mad, get even!