Model-turned-actor Krishna Chaturvedi, who will be seen making his debut in Ishq Forever , bagged the lead role after the makers of the film spotted his pictures on a social networking site. In an interview with BT, Krishna recalls his early days, talks about his foray into Bollywood, and admits that “it was an unexpected and a life-changing experience.“

Your entry into Bollywood is interesting. Tell us about it.
I got the film by sheer coincidence. The team of Ishq Forever was looking for a new face. There were a lot of people who had auditioned for it, but for some reason, the makers couldn't zero down on anyone. One day I got a call from Shabbir Boxwala (producer and writer of the film) and he told me that he had seen my photographs on a social networking site. He called me for an audition and thereon, everything fell into place.

Did you always want to be an actor?
As a kid, I was always fascinated by actors. I wasn't interested in studies and watching movies was a part of my daily routine. I would be in awe of Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Hrithik Roshan. I would even mimic them and entertain my family. After finishing my schooling from Mathura, I shifted to Delhi to do my graduation and explore opportunities in modelling. In my final year, I met a few modelling agencies and luckily started getting a lot of work. I did a few commercials and walked the ramp for many fashion shows. In 2012, I decided to pack my bags and come to Mumbai to look for more work. Thankfully, I have been doing well for myself.

There is a kissing scene in the film for which you had to do 33 retakes.
I'm comfortable kissing on screen. It was the first time Ruhi and I were doing an intimate scene so there was slight nervousness, but that disappeared as soon as we started shooting. It wasn't a deliberate decision to do so many retakes. We were shooting on a rough terrain and the light wasn't that good. Hence, we needed 33 takes to get the perfect shot.

Tell us about your struggling days...
I would like to avoid the word struggle because there is nothing like it. There is something called as beginner's stage. Any new profession has a beginner's stage where you learn a lot of new things; you groom yourself and start doing some things for the first time. Initially, my parents were hesitant as they believed that modelling and acting were not good career options. But as I started getting work, their views changed and soon they were encouraging me to pursue my dream. In the beginning, I faced a lot of rejection for my weaknesses, but I worked upon them. I am happy that my patience and determination has paid off.

What are your future plans?
I will continue doing ramp shows and commercials but cinema is surely going to be my priority. I am open to doing a wide range of roles and I would like to work with good directors. It would be a dream come true to share screen space with Amitabh Bachchan.

You have a lot of hopes pinned on this film. Are you nervous?
I am very excited, yet nervous, as it is my first movie. I am waiting to see how the audience reacts to the film. I am finally getting into the groove. It was a totally different environment when we were shooting for the film as few people knew me then. Now that people are seeing the trailer, recognising me and liking it, I feel good.

There is more to Jaipur girl Ruhi Singh (Miss Universal Peace and Humanity 2014) than her ravishing looks and glamorous image. She stuns us with her keen interest in quantum physics and science fiction. She is a fitness freak who lives on butter naan and butter chicken. Cool, confident and bindaas, Ruhi exudes the casual demeanour of the girl next door. Over a scrumptious plate of mirchi pakodas, the actress speaks of her various talents, cynical take on love and her upcoming film Ishq Forever.

Did your family have any reservations about your Bollywood dreams?
My grandfather played a pivotal role in my upbringing. I am from Rajasthan, and while most believe that people from there are conservative, my family is completely opposite. They have always believed in women empowerment. They gave me the freedom to choose what I want to. They valued my opinions. There's no restriction on the clothes we wear, food we eat or the hours we stay out.

What's your character in Ishq Forever like?
The film is a simple, clean romcom that can appeal to all age groups. I play Ria, who is the protagonist. She studies in Cape Town but hasn't seen much of life. That's why she wants to explore the world. She loses her freedom when her dad becomes a Prime Minister. So she gets on this journey of winning her freedom back. Jaaved Jaaferi and Lisa Ray play crucial roles in the film and working with them was a fantastic experience. Lisa is a fighter and an inspiration to many and Jaaved has a great sense of humour.

We heard that your co-star Krishna Chaturvedi and you did 33 retakes for a kissing scene.
Yes, we did, but it was not because we are bad at kissing. Krishna and I were perfect in the first take itself and we were very comfortable doing it. The kiss is a part of the song and our choreographer is a perfectionist. He wanted various angles for the kiss. That's why we needed 33 takes.

As far as kissing is concerned, on a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate yourself and Krishna?
On kissing, I would rate myself a 10/10 and Krishna a 8/10.

Like Ria, are you looking for a prince charming in real life too?
I don't think my prince charming exists.

Isn't that being a bit cynical?
It is because I am yet to fall in love.

What are you looking for in a guy?
He should be handsome and respectful towards me and my opinions. He should be chivalrous, self-made and give me the freedom to make my choices. I don't think I have met that person yet.

Any celebrity who fits the bill?
I have been a huge Salman Khan fan forever. I watch his films first day, first show. He looked so hot in O oh jaane jaana, on that bike with the guitar.

And the actresses you look up to?
Coming from a Miss India background, Priyanka Chopra is definitely my inspiration. She has opened doors for young girls who dare to dream. She has made room for opportunities which we never imagined before. Some day, I would like to release my song album too .Also, Kangana's acting skills are out of this world. She has changed the game in Bollywood.

Any lesser-known facts about you?
I am a cleanliness freak. I get irritated when things are not in place. Even my vanity van needs to be organised and spotless. I am also interested in quantum physics and sci-fi films.

What's next?
I am doing a Tamil film called Bongu, where I play a car hacker. I am trained in Kung Fu. This gave me an opportunity to show off my action skills. I'd love to do something like that in Bollywood, too.

Jubin Nautiyal hasn't spent many years in the Bollywood music industry, but he has been lucky to have lent his dreamy voice to beautiful numbers like Bandeyaa (Jazbaa) and Meherbani (The Shaukeens). His career's turning point, however, was singing Bajrangi Bhaijaan's journey song Zindagi kuch toh bata. Jubin credits his achievements to his love for good lyrics, soulful music and destiny. The singer opens up about making it on his own, his title track in Ishq Forever and the fact that he still does not know many people in Bollywood. Excerpts from the tête-à-tête...

Can you explain the soundscape of Ishq Forever?
When I was offered this number around eight months ago, it was just a theme song. Nadeemji (Saifi) wanted to try out my voice. But when they heard me sing the song, they decided to make it into a full-fledged track. I interacted with Nadeemji through video chats because he is in Dubai and I was working here. Till then, I had heard only about him through my parents who hold him in high regard. I never knew I would work with such a big composer some day.

Do you feel the industry has been kinder to you than it is to other young composers?
I belong to the small town of Dehradun, so I didn't have a network of people to promote my work. My life follows the saying, 'The fool did not know where to go and he followed his destiny'. I just followed my music and my heart. After I sang Meherbani (The Shaukeens), I was approached for Zindagi kuch toh bata (Bajrangi Bhaijaan) and that became a turning point. When you sing for a big banner film, people start noticing your work. I have a stock of around 300 scratches for people to hear my music and give me work. I travelled to Benares and trained under Pandit Chhannulal Mishra and learnt many different genres of music from him. Then, I went to the UK and learnt how to jam with other musicians because the country has produced some of the finest bands. It was an educating experience for me. I am fortunate to have worked with composers like Pritamda (Chakraborty) and Amit Trivedi. Besides a little bit of luck, it is also important to understand good music.

Shreya Ghoshal had judged you in a music reality show a few years ago and you recently sang a song with her. Life has come a long way...
Yes, I sang the only romantic song in the film, Samandar (Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon) with Shreyaji. I had no clue that I would ever get this opportunity. When I participated in the music reality show where Shreyaji and Sonuji (Nigam) were judges, it was an eye opener. I found that there was so much of good talent in the country and I was nowhere among them. After the show, I decided to work hard towards my passion in music. Maybe, that's how I got this opportunity.

Having sung so many romantic and slow songs, would you want to break the stereotype and sing an item number?
I would love to break the mould but I would not sing something which does not have any meaning. My songs are my way to express and I feel the lyrics in my heart.

What are your future plans?
I love playing progressive sound in live concerts. There was a time when independent music had completely vanished from the scene, so if I get an opportunity I would love to do a music video or a single. I also enjoy sufi and semi-classical music and am in awe of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. I want to work with many more composers and people here.

The lead pair of the upcoming romantic adventure Ishq Forever - Ruhi Singh (Miss Universal Peace and Humanity 2014) and Krishna Chaturvedi - kissed 33 times! Before your imagination runs wild, let us tell you that the actors did 33 takes before nailing the perfect kissing scene for an important sequence in the movie.

Actresses are often uncomfortable about shooting intimate scenes in the presence of the whole crew. But in this case, Ruhi was a real sport, in spite of this being her first onscreen kiss. “This was the first time we both are doing an intimate kissing scene. So initially, we were a little nervous. But I guess multiple takes helped us get the perfect shot. Krishna made me feel very comfortable and it was fun filming it,“ says the pretty actress.

Talking about the hullabaloo that usually surrounds kissing scenes in films, Krishna says, “We are actors, so we need to be thorough professionals. If the script demands a kiss, we have to do it. In this case, we just followed our director Sameer Sippy blindly. And I'm happy it paid off and the scene looks very natural on the screen.“

After a long sabbatical, music composer Nadeem Saifi (of Nadeem Shravan fame) is back with the music of the film Ishq Forever. The musician, who has had an illustrious career in the 90s, talks about missing from action, why today's songs lack melody and what he thinks about young music composers. Excerpts from the interview...

How did Ishq Forever happen?
I wanted to make a comeback for a long time and I was looking for an interesting script to work on. I was pleasantly surprised when I got a call from my friend, producer Shabbir Boxwala. He insisted that I do the music for Ishq Forever. I heard the script and loved it. The film is not a run-of-the-mill rom-com and I am sure people will be in for a surprise.

What was the brief given to you?
They wanted my style of music and at the same time, they told me to keep the music fresh. The title track has a soulful melody. Bilkul Socha Na is an out and out romantic number. Expectations has a youthful vibe to it. The album is a complete package.

Despite living abroad for so many years, how have you managed to stay in touch with the industry?
I have many friends in the industry who always keep me updated. When it comes to music, my son loves Bollywood numbers and so I am aware of the latest. My passion has always been music and I have a ear for the tunes. I am aware of what is being played and what is going to get popular in Bollywood, irrespective of where I am in the world.

We don't see you composing much in Bollywood now. Why is that?
The trend of music in our films has changed drastically. About 15 years ago, I had predicted that there will be a revolution in the Indian music industry and it happened. We are completely influenced by the West. There is a lot of noise in music today. I don't like the current music scenario. Most of the songs lack melody and soul. There have been some really good numbers but they are far and few. Most of the songs today do not have any recall value. People want to hear foot-tapping party numbers and that is why composers are making songs for the feet and not for the heart. I also feel that relying on technology rather than roping in real singers has hampered the quality of music. Composers are in a hurry to give short-term hits than focus on the music and make something melodious.

What do you think of the new generation of music composers and singers?
There are many good music composers and singers and it would be unfair to point out who is good among them all, but it remains to be seen who will survive in the long run. Sadly, today's composers don't have a long shelf life as they lack consistency. Many of them attain overnight success by giving a couple of hit songs but don't live up to the expectations.

What do you miss about your earlier days?
I miss the originality that is lacking today. Earlier, we would do live recordings with a huge orchestra in a grand way. The entire song would be recorded at one place.Today, a singer records the song sitting in a small studio in Mumbai, while I compose the music in Dubai. We have lost that personal touch.

In the recent years, lyricists and music composers have also started doing playback singing.
I am really happy that a lot of multi-talented people are there in Bollywood. In fact, a lot of actors are also singing. Earlier, we saw a lot of singers becoming actors and they did really well. Today, there is a fair amount of opportunity available for everyone to showcase their talent.

What is your take on the songs being recreated?
I don't have an option but to feel good because even after 25 years, my songs are still being liked and are a hit among youngsters. At the same time, it worries me because music composers are not only destroying old songs in terms of music, but also adding vulgar lyrics to strike a chord with the youth. I have never got any credit for my songs that have been recreated and remixed so in the future, I am also planning to approach the judicial system and take action.

Are you in touch with your partner, Shravan Rathod?
Yes, I am. He recently met with a bad accident and is recovering from it. We are contemplating doing stage shows together all over the world.

Do you miss Mumbai?
Yes, I miss it a lot. I am already planning a project which will have all my memories of Bollywood and my time spent in Mumbai. I won't be able to divulge too many details but I can assure you, it is going to be big and people will remember me for it even after I am gone.

Any plans for your son (Samar Nadeem) to become a composer?
He just finished his graduation in Business Management from London. He is a good looking guy and plans to become an actor. He wants to take his time and look at his options before he takes the plunge.

Ever since he shifted base from Mumbai to London and later relocated to Dubai 18 years ago, music composer Nadeem Saifee (often referred to as the more flamboyant of the Nadeem-Shravan duo) has been tempted by filmmakers like Mahesh Bhatt and Guddu Dhanoa to return to Bollywood. However, for reasons best known to him, he didn't give the nod. Now, Nadeem has bitten the bait. He has just finished composing the tracks of Friday Cine Entertainment's Ishq Forever, a romantic film featuring newcomer Krishna Chaturvedi in the lead.The female lead is yet to be finalised. The movie is produced by Ajay Shah, Shabbir Boxwala and Harry Gandhi, and is directed by Sanjay Dayma.

Says Nadeem, “After you've composed for films like Phool Aur Kaante that ran for 100 weeks, Dilwale that ran for 75 weeks, and have had 50 golden and silver jubilee releases, there is nothing left to prove. But if music is coursing through your veins, then you can provide a lifelong high to those who seek it. And I'm extremely glad that Shabbir managed to tempt me.“ The album will have six tracks and Nadeem is confident that the music will validate the fact that he never really left Hindi cinema. “Melody and romance should return with this album of mine,“ he promises, before ending the conversation.