As “Gustaakh Ishq” finally premiered in cinemas on November 28, actor Vijay Varma received an unexpected gift from acclaimed writer Gulzar.
Vijay was presented with several books by the poet and screenwriter, including “Raat Pashmine Ki,” “Raavi Paar,” and “Mirza Ghalib,” all autographed by the legendary figure himself.
Sharing pictures of the books along with the autographs on social media, Vijay expressed that the gesture felt surreal, taking him days to even show the gift to anyone. In a heartfelt post on the photo-sharing app, he wrote, “I received these beautiful autographs and words of encouragement from Gulzar Saab and I don’t know how to accept it. It’s surreal.. took me days to even share it with anyone let alone on social media (sic).”
He added, “Life feels good.. Zindagi Gulzar hai. Gustaakh Ishq dekhiye nazdiki cinema ghar mein” (red heart emoji).
Poetic Essence of “Gustaakh Ishq”
Poetry plays a crucial role in “Gustaakh Ishq,” which tells the story of a young man journeying from Delhi to a small town in Punjab to learn from an aging poet.
On the sets of “Gustaakh Ishq,” Vijay shared a heartwarming experience he had with veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah. He revealed that he turned his role model into a muse by sketching Naseeruddin during breaks between takes.
Describing his biggest achievement, Vijay mentioned that the sketches were graciously signed by the veteran actor in Urdu.
“When you do the gustaakhi to turn your role-model into your model as well. Blessed to be working with the legend @naseeruddin49 Saab and learning from him. My most cherished onscreen relationship yet! I made a sketch of him between takes (slide3) and he signed it in Urdu. Show me a bigger flex! Gustaakh Ishq releases tomo. Dekhiye zarur,” his note read.