It has taken writer-director duo Garima Wahal and Siddharth Singh, better known as Garima-Siddharth, 10 years to bring Saale Aashiq from paper to the screen. But the duo, who was writing television shows at the time, knew they were on to something when they wondered why films about inter-caste romances ended with the couple paying the price for their love. “It used to anger us. If you see Sairat [2016] or any film on caste-based murders, the couple dies in the end. Instead, we decided that the couple has to win in the end. Cinema should depict what happens in real life. But then, what if somebody had a plan? That’s where fiction comes in,” says Wahal.

With that thought, the two wrote and helmed the Tahir Raj Bhasin and Mithila Palkar-starrer that will première on Sony Max on February 1. Selling the film was tough. “COVID-19 came in the middle. Plus, Love Hostel [2022], a similar film, got in the way. But our pitch was distinct. Our couple goes after the families,” states Singh.