'Bun Tikki' director Faraz developing Rajasthan-set romance 'Saleti'
What's the story
Faraz Arif Ansari, who made his feature debut with the queer coming-of-age film Bun Tikki, is ready to take on his next project. The film, which features Abhay Deol, Shabana Azmi, and Zeenat Aman in key roles, premiered at the 36th Palm Springs International Film Festival in early 2025. Now Ansari has announced a new project titled Saleti, a Rajasthan-set romance that he plans to produce outside of traditional Bollywood structures, as per The Hollywood Reporter India.
Film development
Ansari has been working on 'Saleti' for over a decade
Ansari revealed to THR India that he has been working on the script of Saleti for over 10 years.
The film's title refers to a particular shade of gray, which Ansari uses as a metaphor for love.
He said, "Saleti is the in-between of black and white, which is my metaphor for the in-between of love."
"The film is about a love that transforms us without necessarily becoming a permanent part of our lives."
Film theme
'I feel some love stories are complete precisely because...'
Ansari added, "Cinema often teaches us that love succeeds only when people end up together. But my experiences as a queer person have been very different."
"I feel some love stories are complete precisely because they never find conventional closure. This is where the film lives and breathes."
The film will be shot across various cities in Rajasthan, including Jaipur, Ajmer, and Pushkar.
Character inspiration
Characters in 'Saleti' loosely based on people he's loved
Ansari shared that the characters in Saleti are loosely based on people he has loved and his own experiences.
One of the protagonists is an Ajmer local while the other is a sensitive outsider from Bombay.
He said, "The place, in the film, goes beyond a beautiful backdrop and becomes a metaphor for an intimate relationship."
Film confidence
Meanwhile, this is what Ansari said about 'Bun Tikki'
Despite the delay in Bun Tikki's release, Ansari remains confident about the film.
He said, "I've never said this on the record before, but I can take a bullet for Bun Tikki because I'm so proud of that film."
The film follows a seven-year-old boy struggling with self-discovery amid societal challenges while his father "navigates grief and societal pressures as a single parent."