First time director Punit Malhotra said that he penned the screenplay of directorial debut "I Hate Luv Storys" with Imran Khan in mind.

Punit, nephew of ace designer Manish Malhotra, thinks that Imran is "simply outstanding" in the movie.

"When I was writing the film, I had written Jay's character with Imran in my mind. I knew that he would be best for the role and no one else; so there was no confusion about it," Punit said.

Moreover, the 28-year-old has assisted Karan Johar in many hit flicks such as "Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham", "Kal Ho Naa Ho" and "Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna".

"I Hate Luv Storys", which is due to release on July 02, has been produced by Karan Johar under his banner Dharma Productions. It also has Sonam Kapoor in the main lead.

The tale of the film revolves around Jay and Simran, who are complete opposites when it comes to romance.

In the film, both of them work for a well-known director who specialises in romantic flicks.

While talking about the on-screen chemistry of Imran and Sonam, Punit said, "Sonam and Imran have been paired together for the first time; so it is a very fresh pair. Sonam was Manish's suggestion and she looks very good with Imran."

Getting one of the most sought after producers in the industry to back your project is not an easy task, but Punit says Karan himself motivated him to wield the megaphone.

When asked about his future plans, Punit, who independently handled this project after working as an assistant director for 11 years, answered, "There is no immediate plan. I might go for a vacation or just sit back and chill for some time and then I will get back to making movies." (With Inputs from Agencies)