Katrina, Ranbir's love story begins

Rajkumar Santoshi is a very happy man. Belying all rumours of a fall-out with Ajay Devgan, Rajkumar Santoshi is all set to make another film with his favourite actor. "We're just about to zero- in on the subject. It's a contemporary film, not the two period films on Emperor Ashok and the Ramayan that we were planning to do together. Those are on hold right now. For now Ajay and I are getting ready for another film, though I'll definitely make Ramayan and Ashok with him. But we haven't fallen out just because a couple of our films together haven't clicked. That's not how we work."

For now Rajkumar is on another trip. "I'm finally starting Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani with Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif. It's my first love story, though people seem to think it's an intense love story, which it is not. It has lots of very light very humorous moments. I haven't worked with Ranbir and Katrina before. So I'm really looking forward to that."

Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani is to be shot in Mumbai then Goa and finally Italy. "A lot of elements in Ranbir's character will remind people of his grandfather Raj Kapoor. I've worked with Ranbir's father in Damini. When I saw the boy in Saawariya I wanted to work with him immediately. Katrina and I were supposed to do a film that had Shahid in it. That didn't work out. This is a totally different subject." Ask the director about Ranbir's reported remuneration of Rs.7 crores, and Raj shrugs. "That's between Ranbir and the producers Tips."

Oh one more thing. Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani also stars Upen Patel. "It's a pivotal role. Upen expressed a desire to work with me. We met up. When I narrated the subject he fell in love with it. I'm working with an entirely new team including music composer Pritam.