Shahid, Priyanka: Ex-lovers reunite

Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra will be seen together in Kunal Kohli's untitled film. They play lovers spanning three different eras.

Despite their current off-screen relationship status, the director says that the duo shares tremendous chemistry on-screen. Here, Kohli talks about reuniting the two, why he cast them and why they make a hot screen pair. Excerpts...

What made you cast them together?
In kaminey, Shahid and Priyanka had seven-odd scenes together in the entire film. But every time they came together, there was magic. I haven't worked with either of them, so this pairing was interesting to me. Shahid and I had heard some not-so-good things about each other, but that changed once we started working together. Also, this is my first film with Priyanka and we immediately broke the ice. I cast them together knowing that they would do justice to these two characters.

What makes them a hot screen pair?
They have amazing chemistry on screen. There's something exciting and natural about this pair. They are super-dedicated and understand what's expected of them. And let's not forget, they are extremely good-looking.

Was there any awkwardness on the set between them?
Shahid and Priyanka are extremely professional. I don't wish to say anything more.

Do you think the audience accepts an on-screen couple that is no longer together?
This shouldn't even be an issue. During Fanaa, both Aamir and Kajol were married. In fact, Aamir got married during the making of the film and that didn't stop the film from becoming one of the biggest hits of the year. So I feel the audience just wants a good film, irrespective of the personal lives of the lead actors.