Imtiaz Ali thankful to Ramesh Taurani for ‘Laila Majnu’ title

It’s one that of the greatest love stories of all time, and though some may never have seen the film, everyone knows the story of ‘Laila Majnu’ (1976). So when Imtiaz Ali decided he wanted that title for his forthcoming project, he knew he’ll have to go through a real ordeal. However, he wasn’t expecting the man who owned the titled, Ramesh Taurani, owner of Tips, to be so understanding.

“Ramesh ji knew the value of this title and I am sure did not find it very wise to give it away to anyone like that but he was very gracious to agree as a goodwill gesture without demanding anything in exchange. I am thankful enough to him for being so generous, without him we wouldn’t have been able to take this forward,” DNA India reports Ali expressing.

He went on to say, “I always knew that Laila Majnu is the only title that this film could go by. The star, the plot of the film is Laila Majnu. We have known the legendary lovers for years and years before any one of our names were known.”

Better known for his modern story telling of relationships that the youth of today can connect with, Ali will be introducing new stars for this film. The filmmaker explained, “I never considered having a different title for Laila Majnu because the film is actually a very faithful rendition of the famous Laila Majnu just in the modern time and placed in Kashmir. The setting is so because Kashmir gives the exotic backdrop to the film. The actors playing Laila and Majnu in this film are new so it was more important for us to get the title so that those actors could also go by the name ‘Laila’ and ‘Majnu’ for a while before they get to be known as what their original names are.”

Directed by Sajid Ali, the trailer launch of the film is set to take place on 25th July.