As Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat finds a new audience with its digital release on ZEE5, filmmaker Milap Zaveri looks back at the making of the romantic drama, the performances that shaped it, and why the film marks a turning point in his career. In an exclusive conversation, the director spoke candidly about chemistry, nostalgia, and the emotional aftertaste he hopes the film leaves behind.

EXCLUSIVE: Milap Zaveri reflects on chemistry, nostalgia and on the OTT journey of Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat; says, “Love is eternal”

Talking about the on-screen equation between Harshvardhan Rane and Sonam Bajwa, Zaveri emphasised how their off-screen bond translated into powerful performances. “Harsh and Sonam had such great chemistry as friends that they both helped each other. Sonam always gave cues to Harsh in his scenes. Even if she was not in the shot, Harsh did the same for Sonam and they were really there for one another. Harsh has this habit of sometimes listening to music in the scene and maybe that can be maybe distracting to the other actor. But Sonam was never bothered about that. And she helped him with his process. The same way, Harsh helped her with her process. Gave her space and time to perform. It was beautiful to see the way they helped each other in these emotionally heavy scenes.”

The film’s visual and musical tone deliberately leans into nostalgia, something Zaveri acknowledged openly. “It is from the classic, nostalgic era of Bollywood and Hindi cinema, the love stories of what Yash Chopra sir used to make commercial desi cinema… That was my attempt, to have hardcore desi romance with emotion, with great dialogue-bazi, great visuals.”

With the film now streaming, Zaveri believes OTT gives it a renewed emotional life. “This is a film that has done blockbuster business against all expectations… India has loved it, embraced it, especially the youth, men and women, multiplexes or single screens. And I’m sure on OTT also, audiences are going to rediscover it. A lot of people are dying to watch it again. New audiences who maybe missed it will watch it. And it’s a story of love and love always connects. Love is eternal which transcends all barriers. What we hope from this digital release is that it touches hearts again, even more hearts, makes people fall in love, feel love, shed a tear, embrace the music, enjoy the love story and completely experience the passion of these two characters when they watch it in their homes.”

The director also recalled how the characters evolved beyond the script during filming, particularly Harshvardhan’s portrayal. “He told me, however toxic my character may be on paper, or I will make sure that even when I’m bad, I’m good. I will make sure that people love me even though I’m wrong in my obsession for her. And he did that. And I know so many people who at interval point thought Harsh was wrong and was toxic but by the end of the film, they were in love with him. They had tears in their eyes for him. They completely fell in love with his love story and his passion and his obsession for her. I mean, that’s the brilliance of cinema and actors, who know when they bring something to the table of their own and Harsh did that.” He also praised Sonam’s emotional vulnerability, and continued, “Sonam also brought in a certain dignity to the character. When she was strong, she was strong. When she was vulnerable, she was vulnerable. And especially for me, Sonam, the way she completely broke down crying in the climax, that uninhibited tears. Someone may have mentioned to me that normally actors when they cry like that, they hide their face. Sonam didn’t hide her face. She cried from her heart and soul. And that was absolutely beautiful.”

Reflecting on his own growth, Zaveri said, “Earlier with Satyameva Jayate, Marjaavaan, my cinema was always very massy but it was something that only single screens used to enjoy. But with Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat, film has done extraordinary business, even in multiplexes, even in cities, which is a huge jump for me. A lot of the credit, I think, goes to the fact that love stories are universal. The music is such a blockbuster thanks to the efforts of Anshul Garg, and all the musicians that really gave the film a new dimension with audiences. As a filmmaker, people saw a new side of me. Earlier, they had seen action, comedy that I did, and they had seen heroism, drama, but this time they saw pure love stories along with Saiyaara and Tere Ishk Mein, which were the biggest hits of the year. And for me, it’s the biggest hit of my career. And, that too, in a love story without much action per say, it really feels very great that even the multiplexes and the elite audience have embraced and really given, I would say, a new dimension to my career and my voice as a filmmaker.”

Summing up what he hopes audiences carry with them after watching the film on ZEE5, Zaveri shared, “I hope when viewers finish watching, they have tears in their eyes, they have love in their hearts, they feel the pain of the characters, the film stays with them, they understand the power of love, the power of sacrifice, the power of respecting a woman’s boundaries, the power of loving someone to death. I hope, there’s not a single dry eye in homes when people watch this film and they have the music on their lips and the love story of Harsh and Sonam in their hearts when this film ends. And they experience the magic of this love story that audiences experienced even when they were in the theatres and at home.”

As Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat enters living rooms across the country, Zaveri hopes its old-school romance continues to make viewers feel, fall in love, and believe in love all over again.

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Sonam Bajwa talks on the success of Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat; says, “I thought it would be liked, not loved this much”