Jab we met was meant for the Telly!

Years back, Bollywood's new-age director Imtiaz Ali had written a story for a television series which didn't see the light of day. Four years ago, he made it into a film called Jab We Met which turned out to be a box-office blockbuster.

Last year, Star Plus approached Imtiaz to make a serial based on the film. While Bollywood has been a major but unacknowledged inspiration for several serials over the past decade, Love U Zindagi is probably the first serial that's directly sourced from the iconic rom-com.

"Jab We Met was originally developed for TV, but later got made into a film. It deals with the life of an exciting and confident young woman who follows her goal," says Star's head of marketing, Anupam Vasudev.

Star believes that the serial has a huge potential and jells well with the channel's programming, which reaches out to new-age women. "Like today's woman, Geet is a spirited girl who has her own take on life. It is a young and happy family-based show, ideal for weekend telecast, which appeals to women and the younger audience," says Anupam.

For the character of bubbly and vivacious Geet, which was played by Kareena Kapoor in the film, Imtiaz auditioned more than 700 girls. One of them was Pavitra Punia, hot and sizzling participant of Splitsvilla 3. "When I went for the audition, they had already auditioned more than 500 girls. But I was always kept as an option," says the Delhi girl who came to Mumbai to explore avenues in modelling and films.

She participated in the reality show to get noticed. "I also did Making the Cut for MTV. But I didn't want to be a winner in the reality shows because you get tied down to the channel as a VJ. Since films were not happening, I thought this was the best opportunity, the best place to start and learn acting," she says.

Pavitra says she is very much like Geet — vivacious, confident, bubbly, hyper and talkative. "Geet comes to Mumbai to do a course in fashion designing. But, she wants to explore life outside Bhatinda. I too came to Mumbai for the same reason," she lets loose a breath of candour.

She refuses to speak about how Geet will meet Aditya during her eight-month stay in Mumbai before she goes to Bhatinda or how it will bring about a sea change in her life.

Imtiaz started his career as writer and director with Purush Kshetra. Later, he wrote and directed Socha Na Tha followed by Jab We Met. He is co-producing and supervising serial Love U Zindagi.

@deccanchronicle.com