21 Jul 2009, 0121 hrs IST

Bollywood News: “Parallel universes” is how Saif Ali Khan chooses to describe the two romantic tales of Imtiaz Ali’s film Love Aaj Kal, starring Saif and Deepika Padukone in double roles. Wild conclusions about the film’s story were being drawn after watching the film’s promos which show Saif as a Sikh and as a fashionable dude.

The actor’s own fitness trainer thought the film is about twin brothers. In reality, the film has two different love stories set in different time periods. But there are things that connect the two stories.

The first story is between Veer Singh and Harleen (Saif and Deepika) in 1965. Veer is so much head-over-heels in love with Harleen that he travels a thousand kilometers by train to stand under her balcony only to have a glimpse of her face.

The second story is about Jai and Meera, a modern-day couple in present day London. Jai doesn’t believe in “janam janam ka saath” type of love and eventually separates from Meera.

The connecting link between the two stories is Rishi Kapoor, who plays the old Veer. So Saif actually plays the young Rishi Kapoor in the film.

“We thought it would be too distracting to have another actor. It’s almost like parallel universes, so it’s important that I play him. Veer, the younger Rishi Kapoor, is very pure...The magic of the screenplay is when Jai becomes Veer and realises that when he is in love, he is consumed by it,” Saif is quoted as saying in a media report.

The movie hits the theatres on July 31.