Lily James says new film 'breaks stereotypes' about assisted marriage

And speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com ahead of the release, James revealed that one of the things that appealed to her about the film was that it was "breaking all the stereotypes" regarding what people might think about assisted and arranged marriages.

"The thing that was so great is obviously Jemima [Khan] has written this and so much of it comes from her own personal experience," she explained. "And all the people, all the things that happen in it are based on some sort of truth.

"And so she was amazing – to be able to talk to her and find out more – and I loved the kind of awakening Zoe has really. And through making this documentary, she thinks it's this sort of outdated idea, and probably has the sort of more dramatic stories or the kind of, like, fictional film versions of events.

"And this is actually a real, genuine look and unjudgemental look at assisted marriage and arranged marriage, which millions of couples across the world do every day. So it's really just breaking all the stereotypes."

Meanwhile, Latif added that he hopes the film encourages audiences to challenge how they think about assisted marriages, adding that it might help foster discussion about the matter.

“I hope someone goes to the cinema and watches it, feels something from it and yeah, maybe it sparks a debate like the debate that the two lead characters have," he said.

"That’s all we can ask for, really, we’ve sort of gone through the journey ourselves, experienced it, and now hopefully we give it to the audience and whoever can take something from it, then that's good."

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"Especially because it comes under the guise of a romcom and it is so uplifting," added James. "It's perfect escapism, it's hilarious, it's about family, love, identity, but we're exploring bigger things in the core of it.

"So it's great that you can sort of surprise people with that and make them think.”

What's Love Got to Do with It? is in UK cinemas from Friday 24th February. Visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what's on, or check out our Film hub for more news and features.

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