MUMBAI: Ileana DCruz and Randeep Hooda star in an upcoming comedy that deals with the Indian obsession for fair skin. Filming is expected to start next month.

Set in Haryana, the film titled "Unfair & Lovely" chronicles the story of a dusky girl who constantly has to fend against prejudices and biases that Indian society harbours against dark skin.

Ileana plays the role of Lovely and she is paired with Randeep for the first time.

"Essaying Lovely is definitely going to be a very different and a unique experience for me and many people across all demographic would be able to relate to this character. What I love about the film is that its narrative isn't preachy; it's a funny story that will leave viewers smiling and laughing," said Ileana.

Randeep feels making people laugh is not easy. "I've been captivated by the comedy genre for the longest time. Now that this amazing story has come along, I'm very excited to explore this new genre for myself. I got hooked on to this story from the first narration itself and can't wait to get started on this one," he said.

The film will mark the directorial debut of Balwinder Singh Janjua, who has worked as a screenplay writer for "Saand Ki Aankh" and "Mubarakan".

"'Unfair and Lovely' is a rooted story based on our everyday life observations that reflect a reality of today's world in a hilarious manner and it gives me great pleasure to begin my directorial venture with this film," said Janjua.

The film is slated for a 2021 release.

Also read: Randeep Hooda: We all need to play our part to ensure a healthy planet