'Gustaakh Ishq' director nearly 'blackmailed' Naseeruddin Shah to joinÂ
Vibhu Puri, the acclaimed director of Gustaakh Ishq, has revealed that he "blackmailed" veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah into joining the film. The movie, which stars Vijay Varma and Fatima Sana Shaikh in lead roles, is also Manish Malhotra's debut as a producer. Puri shared how he convinced Shah to be a part of his project.
Puri's initial approach to Malhotra and Shah's involvement
Puri revealed to Mid-Day that Malhotra initially approached him to adapt a 400-page book into a film. However, when Puri said it would take too long, Malhotra asked if he had any original ideas. This led to the creation of Gustaakh Ishq. The director also spoke about his bond with Shah, whom he had previously worked with on Taj: Divided By Blood.
'If you don't want to do it, tell me...'
Puri said, "Initially, I thought he would be khadoos. But Naseer saab was so nice to me during Taj that I fell in love with him." "He agreed to star...but then we had some date issues...So, Manish and I went to his house, and I said, 'If you don't want to do it, tell me who I should work with.'" Shah then alleged that Puri was blackmailing him. To this, Puri said, "Yes...I've a right to do that to you."
Puri's confidence in 'Gustaakh Ishq' and audience preferences
Despite the dominance of action films in 2025, Puri is confident that audiences will embrace his love story. He cited the success of romantic films like Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Maine Pyar Kiya, and Aashiqui as evidence that people crave happiness and love on screen. Gustaakh Ishq is set against the backdrop of old Delhi and Punjab and will hit theaters on November 28.