/> Hello hello?? Under the rousing rabble of spicy gossip about the lead pair, does anyone remember that Imtiaz Ali has made a spirited travel-o-ishq-nama of the kind that brings back graceful memories of Frank Capra's It Happened One Night?

Smiles Imtiaz, "Frankly I've been too obsessed with my film to see what's been happening. Any kind of bitterness between two people is better left to be sorted out between them.

If you make a sincere film, the work should speak for you. I guess the good old days of the product being the star is over. But I still believe if you make a good film you get your audience. If you don't nothing helps."

Imtiaz denies reports that he will be directing a film to be produced by Saif Ali Khan on the recommendation of Kareena.

"That's totally untrue. Saif and I have been in talks about a possible project long before Kareena and Jab We Met came my way. It's one among the many projects that Saif 's production house is looking at."

Prod the shy director more, and he blurts out, "Honestly, I don't see the Kareena-Shahid angle making any difference to the ticket counters. People are smart enough to know they can get their gossip free of charge on any news channel.

Why pay Rs 250 to see the lead pair for behind-the-scenes gossip? They'll go if the film excites them. I hope Jab We Met enthuses them."

While Shahid and Kareena will be shown falling in love in Jab We Met, the opposite process is apparently happening in real life.

"The audience is aware of what's happening. Rather than take away from the onscreen chemistry the off- screen happenings might add another dimension to the goings-on in my film," opines Imtiaz.

The film took Imtiaz to various parts of the country. "That was the nature of the plot. It couldn't have been made in artificial spaces. For example I needed to shoot the couple at the Himlayas. How can I get that in a studio?

We went to Himachal, Rajasthan....While the protagonists discover places in the world and within themselves, so did I. Kareena was sure any location I selected would be at least 2 hours away from a decent hotel. But she was willing to slum it out.

Shahid and Kareena were really motivated. If they weren't willing to get out of their comfort zone I'd have scrapped the film."

Adding to Imitiaz's problems was the fact that the film was shot in sync- sound. "We shot places that a lot of people haven't seen on the map, and we shot the whole film in one stretch.

In some of the places people hadn't seen a camera! They didn't know Kareena Kapoor was an actual humanbeing. We took the locals into confidence, even used them in the shooting.

My ADs had to tutor them about the camera.That kept them happy. When you're shooting outdoors you've to create the right vibes. Everywhere in Punjab we created positive vibes. Yes, at times things got a little rough, as it did at the Kulu bus -stand where we had to flee."

Thanks to Jab We Met, Imtiaz has become addicted to the outdoors. "I like traveling a lot. And this script was born out my love for travel. There're so many stories about people falling in love during travel.

But my film is not like Roman Holiday, It Happened One Night or a Walk In The clouds. I'm fiercely opposed to seeking inspiration from extraneous sources.

Many times I've been asked to copy from foreign films. I refused. If two years after Socha Na Tha I'm appreciated for another original screenplay my day is made."

As for the music it all happened on the phone. "Pritam was getting married while I was traveling. I left the decision about the tunes to Pritam. He kept sending tunes. Changing his mind, sending an alternative tune."

Imitiaz feels he has come a long way since his debut film Socha Na Tha. "There're lots of stories swimming in my head. Yes, my first film was relatively small. But now after Jab We Met I don't intend to make 'big' films only.

It all depends on the size of the vision. Besides I want to see what happens to Jab We Met before going on. I don't mid waiting a few months."

Tell him you don't like the title,and Imtiaz laughs. "Well I hated the title Socha Na Tha. But I like Jab We Met."

Any regrets about abandoning pal Abhay Deol whom Imtiaz launched?

"Nahin nahin. Abhay is very much a part of my life. He had promised that at the premiere of Jab We Met he'd stand next to me totally drunk because now that he's playing Devdas he has the licence to get sozzled."

Imtiaz was supposed to make a film with Sunny Deol. "That didn't materialize. My loss. Sunny is the man who brought me into movies."