by Subhash K Jha

Seldom does a pair get signed for a film after being seen by a producer enacting one song. But that's precisely what happened when producer Sudhish Rambhotla of Colorchips in Hyderabad saw Sammir Dattani and Raima Sen together for a song in the espionage thriller Mukhbir (The Informer) where Sammir plays the title role.

He immediately decided to cast them together in his next film.

Hyderabad is scorching hot. And it isn't just the summer weather. Sammir Dattani and Raima Sen shot a romantic song choreographed by Saroj Khan for Mani Shankar's film Mukhbir.

The chemistry between the two was palpable.

"Raima aand I've come together after six years. We shot together for the first time for a music video called Valentine's Day. To this day we're remembered as the Valentine pair. In fact I'm still recognized as the boy from that music video more than the guy from Pyar Mein Twist, " laughs Sammir as they pain the tune red.

It's an ultra-romantic song composed by Ilaiyarja's son Karthik. And Sammir and Raima look made for each other. "It's true that I haven't been so comfortable with any of my leading ladies," confesses Sammir. "It could be because we started our careers together."

Adds Raima, "I remember Sammir as this innocent boy who would constantly ask for glasses of milk between takes. He has changed quite a lot, and for the better."

Continues Sammir, "We were both so young and selfconscious when we did that video for Rajshri films. The choreographer Vaibhavi Merchant did her best to put us at ease. But I think we were both slightly awkward expressing romantic feelings. We're far more comfortable now."

So high is the comfort level that the Mukhbir producer Sudish Rambhotla has offered Raima the lead with Sammir in his next film.

"He was observing us closely during the song. And I think he liked what he saw. Even I like what I saw," jokes Sammir.

Says Rambhotla, "Since Sammir tends to look acutely young on camera it's very difficult to find a leading lady for him. For Mukhbir we had actually signed another girl, even paid her a signing amount.

But then she looked older than the hero. Raima has the right mix of beauty innocence and mischief to complement Sammir. I'm definitely going to sign them together for my second feature film."

How the achingly young pair was re-united is quite a story. Reveals Sammir, "The heroine in Mukhbir has a brief role, almost a cameo. All it took was a phone call from me for Raima to agree. I guess once a friend always one."

Now that they would be doing a full-length film together it would be interesting to see where the friendship that started six years ago is heading.

Concludes Sammir, "I get along well with all my co-stars including Minissha Lamba in Corporate who keeps making up these stories in her interviews about pranks that she has supposedly played on me. Raima and I go back a long way. The comfort level is special."