Harshvardhan Kapoor and Saiyami Kher in Mirzya
Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra spills beans on Harshvardhan and Saiyami's ravishing chemistry in Mirzya Pictured: Mirzya stillPR Handout

Director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra says the close friendship between Harshvardhan Kapoor and Saiyami Kher was the reason behind their sizzling chemistry featured in his next Bollywood film Mirzya.

Mirzya has a passionate love-making scene featuring the lead pair. Harshvardhan Kapoor and Saiyami Kher, who are making their acting debut in Bollywood, were not nervous to perform the intimate scenes, as they did not have inhibitions. There is a strong buzz around their chemistry and they are compared with Indian cinema's iconic pairs like Anil Kapoor-Madhuri Dixit and Aamir Khan-Juhi Chawla.

Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra says the two developed a great rapport during the shoot and soon became best friends. It was this comfort level that helped them perform the intimate scenes with ease. "The beauty about Harshvardhan and Saiyami's chemistry is that it is multiplied by two - the first is the present-day story and the other is a period folklore," says Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra.

"We shot the present day portion first. Though they were working together for a year, on the set, the magic only increased. By the time we shot the climax, it didn't feel like two different people. Even though we shot the folklore part after a four-month break, they picked up from where they left. It was another level altogether," adds the filmmaker.

The director asserts that chemistry is not something that happens overnight. "A couple shares a great friendship when they can sustain and give each other space. Normally, one person is more dominant. In Indian cinema, it's more the man. However, in Mirzya, it was equal. That's what makes it beautiful," he states.

Mirzya is inspired by the Punjabi folklore of Mirza Sahiban and it is produced by Cinestaan Film Company and ROMP Pictures. Harshvardhan Kapoor and Saiyami Kher are playing the lead roles in the movie, while Anuj Choudhry, Om Puri, Art Malik, KK Raina and Anjali Patil appear in the supporting cast. The movie is scheduled to release on 7 October.