Arunoday Singh and Aditi Rao thrash Mallika Sherawat's 17 kisses-Khwahish record. We are not sure if it's a record worth setting but Sudhir Mishra's next film, Yeh Saali Zindagi, includes 22 liplocks

Yeh Saali Zindagi might set a new record in celluloid smooching. Arunodoy Singh (last seen making violent love to Raima Sen in Vinay Shukla's Mirch) and Aditi Rao (Sonam Kapoor's bua in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's Delhi 6) are the couple in question.

"Aditi and Arunodoy play a young couple based in Delhi. They kiss every time they quarrel. And they quarrel a lot, " says Mishra.

Mishra's memory freezes the figure at "around 20 or 22". A kiss is a far more aesthetic and natural expression of love than hip-shaking, believes the director, who has in the past had to do away with kissing scenes because the actors in question were reluctant.

No such issues with Rao and Singh, though.

Singh comes from a political family. His grandfather Arjun Singh is a prominent politician. Rao's grand-uncle Sir Muhammed Saleh Akbar Hydari was the governor of Assam, and she is married to actor Satydeep Mishra (who played Rani Mukerji's boss in No One Killed Jessica).

The two were mildly apprehensive of how their families would react, but Mishra's directorial experience saw their reservations fade quickly.

The censorboard, already upset over the film's title, is unlikely to take gently to the the avalanche of smooches.

"I am not bothered. If the censors think kissing is evil, I'll ask them to get a reality check. We can't manage with flowers quivering on screen. The audience will guffaw at us!" says Mishra.