Aashiqui made Rahul Roy a star, says Mohit Suri

Director Mohit Suri, who is looking forward to the release of Aashiqui 2, feels the original film made actor Rahul Roy a star. In 1990, when Mahesh Bhatt directed Aashiqui, it starred newcomers Rahul Roy and Anu Agarwal in the lead.

"When Aashiqui released, Rahul Roy was no one at the time; that film made him a star," Suri told the PTI. Aashiqui 2 will also see relatively new actors - Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor. The makers were in search of new faces for the sequel, but the idea failed and they had to zero-in on star kids, who are one-two films old.

"The reason we chose an entirely new team was to help the audience connect with the film," he said. Shraddha is the daughter of actor Shakti Kapoor, who made her acting debut in 2010 with Teen Patti alongside Amitabh Bachchan and R Madhavan. She also did Y-Films'- Luv Ka The End. Aditya, who debuted with Vipul Shah's film London Dreams (2009) and later gained visibility for his roles in Action Replayy and Guzaarish, is the brother of UTV Motion Pictures CEO Siddharth Roy Kapur.

Suri insists that Aashiqui 2 has a different storyline and made keeping in mind today's generation. "The story of the sequel is new but the core of the film is the same - relationships. When we say love story, people assume it will be a glossy love story. It is a dramatic love story with lot of emotions," he said.

The film, produced by Mukesh Bhatt and Bhushan Kumar, is set to release on April 26. Suri has directed films like Zeher, Kalyug, Woh Lamhe, Raaz - The Mystery Continues and Murder 2, but Aashiqui 2 will be his first hardcore romantic film. "Aashiqui 2 is my first love story. My previous films had love angle but this is my first romantic film. I was tired of making crime, love films. I am quite happy and excited about it," he said.

PTI