Shaleen Malhotra is stepping into a new creative space with Seven and a Half Dates, a musical romantic drama he has co-directed alongside Suyyash Rai. In an exclusive conversation with mid-day, the actor-director opened up about his long-standing love for writing, the emotional core of the series, and the amusing story behind casting Karan Wahi in the project.
Shaleen Malhotra on his transition journey
Talking about transitioning into writing and direction, Shaleen revealed that storytelling has always been a deeply personal passion. “I’ve always written things, but I’ve never really published them or sent them out to the world. I never really felt the need of it,” he shared. Despite exploring new creative avenues, he emphasised that acting remains his primary identity. “I’ve always been an actor, I still am an actor, and I still choose to be known as an actor. Direction is just a part of it and writing has been a part of me since the very beginning.”