Jemima Goldsmith, the former wife of cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, has said that her first screenplay ‘What’s love got to do with it’—a cross-cultural romcom— was inspired by her stay in Pakistan for almost 10 years.

“I lived in Pakistan between the ages of 20 and 30, I brought up my two sons, who are half Pakistani,” she said at the premiere of the movie at the Toronto International Film Festival. “My intention was to write something that was a celebration of all things Pakistani, a love letter to my old friend Pakistan.”

The film, which is directed by Shekhar Kapur, stars Lily James, Shazad Latif, Shabana Azmi, Sajal Aly and Emma Thompson. The film also stars Asim Chaudhry, Jeff Mirza, Mim Shaikh and more. It would be released on January 27, 2023.

“It is definitely not that story but definitely inspired by that and all the characters in the film are definitely all the people that I have met along the way,” she said.

Jemima said that she was planning to write for decades but the end product becomes to be better when the vision of the director, editor, and actors pours into it. The movie revolves around the marriage of a Pakistani expatriate and his friend’s personal journey to find love.

“I think the process is to do it over and over again,” she said in response to a query on her writing process. She did not speak about the number of drafts she wrote for the film. “Just keep going until you are bored of doing it.”

Jemima has been a fan of comedy movies. She was of the view that director Shekhar added something broader to the mainstream romcom. “I think we all are fascinated by love and the conundrum to finding lasting love and connect with people.”

She added that cinema in dark times like Covid could be a great source of entertainment.

“I am the worst person to ask,” she said in response to a question on how to find love in the modern world. “The reason why I am so attracted to the kind of idea of assisted marriage, which is more like a consensual arrangement, is basically that I have terrible judgment. So I kind of fantasize about what might it be like to be somebody that you know has a mother who offers you a solution.”

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Jemima said that she wanted to change the negative perception of Pakistan in the West.