Real life pair Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor are set to star together in a new project this year, directed by Rensil D\’ Silva.

2009 is a special year for Rensil D’Silva as he takes the big leap from writing to direction. By now it’s well known that Rensil would be making his directorial debut with the Saif-Kareena-Vivek Oberoi starrer to be produced under the banner of Dharma Productions.

The buzz in the media circles is that the intense film is titled Jihaad but Rensil denied this rumor. “No…my film is not called Jihaad. It’s a name that the media seems to have given the film but it’s not the official title”, says Rensil.

Asked what the film is about and Rensil says, “It’s a romantic thriller set against the backdrop of global terrorism.”

There is a strong buzz that Saif and Kareena are playing terrorists in the film but the director is not ready to reveal much. “I can’t reveal plot points or character sketches at this point of time”, says the writer turned director, who also doesn’t deny the news.

Apart from Saif, Kareena and Vivek Oberoi the film was supposed to star Tara Sharma. However, the actress is expecting her first baby soon and hence had to back out of the project. She has been replaced by Minissha Lamba

The supporting cast also includes Kirron Kher, Om Puri and some talented new faces.

So, how much of the film’s shoot is complete at this stage? “We are around 40% through with filming. We’ve shot in Philadelphia and Delhi and the Mumbai schedule is currently underway. We plan to complete shooting by May and will release the film in the last quarter of 2009,” says Rensil.

While the story of the film has been written by Karan Johar, Rensil has worked on the screenplay of the film. An interesting fact however is that instead of Dharma favorites Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, this time music would be composed by Salim-Sulaiman.