And now, for loverboy Milind

Aseem Hattangady

"Create a character the audience will never forget," says model-turned-actor Milind Soman.

After the successful run of his action film 16 December [directed by Mani Shankar and starring Dipannita Sharma], Soman now looks forward to his latest film Pyar Ki Dhun, with Swati and Hena Dasgupta [real life sisters who debut with this movie]. The film releases April 26.

"I play an ordinary young man who dreams of getting married and settling down. I am in love with this girl who [thinks otherwise and] wants to travel and see the world," explains Soman.

It is not exactly a novel idea. What attracted him to the film? "The script is very audience-friendly, down-to-earth and well written. Its usage of everyday language makes it more powerful."

Written by Dr Shoba Dasgupta, the film is directed by her husband Samarjit, an ex-fighter pilot. The two are heroines' parents, too. About his director Soman says, "Everyone has worked very hard for this film, he (Samarjit Dasgupta) is very technically savvy, and his creation should be a pleasure to watch."

According to him, a film is the vision of a director; and to the director goes the credit for a successful first. On being asked on how he chooses his roles, he says, "There are three important factors on which I select a film --- the script, character and director. If I like what I hear, I do not mind whatever role I get. You must remember that the character you are about to play is also a human being. So it is important to find out what motivates the character and understanding the character's significance in the script."

Working with the Dasgupta sisters was "Great! Working with new people always has its own charm. It is a learning experience. Both the sisters worked very hard, both of them are so different, you just can't compare the two."

Soman has over five films to be completed, an appearence in a music video and his own production company to run. "I have always wanted to give something back to the industry. I want my company E-Motion Picture Private Limited to contribute to Indian cinema and television. In fact, we already have Huba Hu on air, and hope to produce a feature film myself soon."

Soman swears by [Hollywood great] Robert de Niro ["My dream is to play de Niro's character from the acclaimed film Raging Bull"], and admires stalwarts like [Hindi cinema's] Balraj Sahni.

He says, in parting, "You have to learn to act cinematically such that the audience forgets you and remembers your character. Yet there is so much left to learn."