When Sanam Teri Kasam hit the theaters in 2016, it was not considered a box office darling. However, sometimes films have this peculiar and ironical way of finding their right audiences long after the curtains have fallen. Over time, this romance saga surfaced as one of the favorite sagas of heartbreak while swooning the chemistry of Harshvardhan Rane and Mawra Hocane. Now, almost a decade later, the buzz of a sequel is in the air. Titled Jaanam Teri Kasam, this new chapter promises to bring the same emotional intensity but without the original lead duo.
Fans of the original might feel a certain pang of disappointment on hearing this news. After all, performances by Rane and Hocane were integral to the film’s eventual cult status. However, the producers and director pair of Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru do seem eager to inject some fresh blood into this sequel. There are reports that they’re looking at fresh faces to headline the musical romance which promises to have the same emotional intensity as Aashiqui 2. It is learned that the producers are on the lookout for a female lead who has the voice of a nightingale and is charming like any other young starlet. The actress needs to fall in the age bracket of 18-20 years and will be expected to bring in a singer’s intensity on screen.
The idea of a sequel sans the lead pair is bold, undeniably. Still, this is evidence enough of the confidence of the filmmakers in telling the story. Sanam Teri Kasam was an updated version of eternal love tales, weaving in the tragic shades of Shiva-Sati with the eternal romantic appeal of Eric Segal’s Love Story. With Jaanam Teri Kasam, it seems the makers are attempting something equally poignant this time around, but with a fresh, youthful energy.
For Harshvardhan Rane, Sanam Teri Kasam remains a milestone of sorts, even though it didn’t fetch him widespread recognition that he was expecting. In an interview, he revealed candidly that while fans have been asking for a sequel, the box office performance didn’t merit it now. While Mawra Hocane had other tales altogether. The post-release political climate banned the Pakistani artists, and thereby, unfortunately, her Bollywood journey was curtailed.
The original film, despite its lukewarm reception at the time of its release, found its place eventually as a late-blooming classic, mostly due to its soulful soundtrack composed by Himesh Reshammiya. Tracks like “Tera Chehra” and “Kheech Meri Photo” remain part of people’s playlists and bring back memories of the most tear-jerking moments from the film. Therefore, the music will assume center stage again in Jaanam Teri Kasam and might perhaps herald a new era of heart-rending melodies.
The more the rounds of pre-production for Jaanam Teri Kasam, the more rife the speculation among fans seems to get as far as who will don the hat of the original stars. Will the new star cast fill in the magic that Harshvardhan and Mawra brought to the screen, or will they create a separate legacy in this unfolding saga of love and loss? Only time will tell.
For now, the only hope for all Sanam Teri Kasam fans is that this sequel-with its fresh faces, yet so familiar themes-captures their hearts once more, and perhaps even a little more fervently than before. Therefore, take out your handkerchiefs for if there’s one thing the original taught us, it’s that love stories like these are just as much about the tears as they are about the smiles.
Source: India Today, Pinkvilla.
