By:
Khalid
Mohamed,
IndiaFM
Monday,
January
22,
2007
Suddenly,
he's
rocking
and
reeling
in
some
of
the
most-discussed
movie
projects
of
Celluloid
City.
He's
now
into
a
Yashraj
film
and
is
nixing
and
greenlighting
A-grade
projects
galore.
Laundering
his
much-gossiped-about
Lady
Slayer
profile,
the
actor
is
on
a
re-invention
spree.
Akshay
Kumar
in
a
chatfest
with
Khalid
Mohamed.
Just
yesterday,
he
thought
I
was
a
snake.
And
I
thought
he
was
a
porcupine.
To
comprehend
what
made
him
behave
the
way
he
did
-
tetchy
suspicious
-
I
sought
to
pub,
his
mind-set.
Well
what
the
hell,
after
much
air-clearing,
I
found
an
actor
who
feels
that
much
wrong
has
done
to
him
by
the
pen
scrawlers.
To
give
the
Kal
ka
Khiladi
and
today's
versatile
performer
his
due,
straight
off,
I
asked
him
if
he
felt
he
can
handle
the
arch-competition
from
the
Khans,
the
Bachchans,
plus
the
upcoming
insta-fame
kids
on
the
block.
To
which
he
responded
without
hemming
and
hawing.
So
in
the
classic
tradition,
here
are
excerpts
from
our
conversation..
conducted
in
a
frigidly
cold
vanity
van
parked
on
the
helipad
of
Film
City.
Can
you
handle
the
competition?
It's
not
a
war
out
here.
You
know
we
make
the
highest
number
of
films
in
the
world,
there
are
enough
opportunities
for
every
actor
to
show
his
skills..or
non-skills.'
I'm
surprised
that
you're
asking
me
such
a
question...
it's
more
than
obvious
that
every
actor
has
his
place,
and
with
sustained
work
I
have
mine.
I'm
confident
that
whatever
I
do,
it's
straight
from
my
heart.
Right.
Okay,
what
do
you
think
of
the
new
talent
on
the
block
like,
let's
say,
Upen
Patel
whom
you've
literally
interacted
with
in
Namastey
London?
Upen's
okay.
He's
working
on
his
strengths
and
weaknesses,
like
all
of
us.
Which
of
the
actors,
in
the
young
bracket,
have
that
special
something?
I
loved
Hrithik
Roshan
in
Dhoom
2.
I
felt
it
was
a
tremendous
performance;
he
made
the
impossible
look
possible.
I've
heard
good
things
about
Abhishek
Bachchan
in
Guru,
but
I've
been
too
caught
up
to
see
the
film.
In
a
few
hours
I
leave
for
Sydney
for
a
long
spell
of
shooting.
Tell
me,
it
seems
Raj
Kumar
Santoshi
offered
you
the
role
of
Hanuman
in
his
adaptation
of
the
Ramayana.
Yes,
I
refused
the
part.
If
it
was
the
central
role
of
Lord
Rama,
I
would
have
surely
considered
it.
Will
you
ever
consider
a
film
with
Mr
Santoshi?
After
all,
he
gave
you
a
tremendous
role
in
Khakee..
You've
answered
the
question
yourself.
If
he
gives
me
a
script
that
challenges
me,
there's
no
reason
why
I
would
not
consider
it.
I
believe
you
were
very
depressed
when
Jaan-e-Mann
bombed?
It
wasn't
exactly
depression.
But
I
would
be
lying
if
I
were
to
say
that
I
wasn't
affected
at
all.
I'd
worked
hard.
I
was
looking
forward
to
the
film's
release.
When
it
didn't
click,
I
did
have
cramps
in
my
stomach...
then
one
has
to
get
up
and
move
ahead.
Personally
I
liked
Jaan-e-Mann.
But
I
was
told
some
of
my
friends
that
the
second
half
was
a
bit
too
long.
Maybe
I
should
have
been
its
editor..(laughs)
Who
can
be
a
better
editor
than
me?
Didn't
the
film
suffer
because
of
Salman
Khan's
tantrums?
Like
him
shaving
himself
bald,
suddenly,
which
didn't
gel
with
the
continuity?
I
didn't
find
any
continuity
jerks.
Yes,
the
film
was
supposed
to
take
four
to
five
months,
it
took
eight
to
nine
months.
Every
film
has
its
problems.
At
times,
the
set
catches
fire,
or
an
actor's
bones
are
broken
because
of
a
difficult
stunt.
Wasn't
there
tension
between
Salman
Khan
and
you
during
the
shoot?
Between
him
and
me?
Earlier,
this
was
said
when
we
were
doing
Mujhse
Shaadi
Karogi.
There's
no
problem
between
us.
But
newspapers
reported
that
there
was
major
tension
between
Salman
and
you
because
of
Katrina
Kaif.
Let's
get
this
point
clear.
When
any
hero
does
two
or
three
films
with
any
heroine,
rumours
happen.
Meaning
you
treated
Katrina
Kaif
like
your
bhabhi?
Bhabhi
is
too
great
a
word.
I
can
just
say
that
I'm
relieved
that
you
didn't
call
her
my
sister.
In
Bhagam
Bhag,
did
you
improvise
that
dialogue
that
you
edit
other
actors'
roles?
That
wasn't
my
line.
Neeraj
Vora
wrote
it
as
a
joke
because
I'm
always
accused
of
cutting
other
actors'
roles.
I
went
along
with
it
for
a
laugh.
Has
any
actor
ever
cut
your
role?
Yes
or
no?
Yes.
A
long
time
ago.
Who
was
it?
Suneil
Shetty?
Ha,
ha,
ha.
Didn't
Govinda
end
up
playing
second
fiddle
in
Bhagam
Bhag?
You're
saying
this.
I'm
not.
What
about
the
mixed
reports
on
Bhagam
Bhag?
Whatever
the
reports,
it
did
well
commercially
and
I'm
a
commercial
hero.
I
really
believe
in
commercialism.
What
does
Tina
(wife
Twinkle
Khanna)
have
to
say
about
your
movies?
(Pause)
Let
me
put
it
this
way,
she
doesn't
say
much.
In
which
films
has
she
liked
you?
Hera
Pheri,
part
I.
We
don't
go
into
analysis
about
my
work.
I'm
easy-going,
theek
hai
if
she
likes
my
film,
fine.
If
she
doesn't,
that's
okay
too.
Has
your
mother-in-law
ever
given
you
tips
on
acting?
Never.
We
never
talk
shop.
And
to
think
she's
such
a
superb
artiste!
Her
performance
in
Rudaali
was
outstanding.
What
about
your
father-in-law
(Rajesh
Khanna)?
He's
a
great
guy,
we're
like
buddies.
Now
why
are
we
getting
into
family
areas?
Just.
Which
films
of
his
would
be
the
best
for
re-makes?
So
many!
Aradhana,
Safar,
Amar
Prem,
Sacha
Jhutha.
Hmm.
What's
the
Yashraj
deal?
It's
finalised,
yes.
But
it's
not
right
for
me
to
talk
about
it...
why
don't
you
ask
them
about
it.
Thanks
but..
How's
your
famous
love
life?
What!
It's
peaking,
I
go
from
one
studio
to
another,
that's
it.
Sure,
I'm
attracted
to
women.
If
anyone
makes
a
pass
at
me,
I
love
it.
But
there's
no
follow-up
action.
You
scared
of
Tina?
Listen,
are
you
trying
to
be
a
home-breaker?
Yes,
I'm
scared
of
Tina?
Happy?
How
do
you
look
back
at
the
beautiful
women
from
your
past
-
Pooja
Batra,
Raveena
Tandon,
Shilpa
Shetty?
Stop.
Are
you
grilling
me?
If
I
ever
come
across
them,
I
say,
"Hello" and
that's
it.
Everyone
has
a
past,
don't
you?
Tell
me
about
it.
...smart,
smart!
And
uh,
aren't
you
reprising
Manoj
Kumar's
role
in
Purab
Paschim
in
Namastey
London?
Nope,
Namastey
London
has
nothing
to
do
with
that.
It's
not
a
film,
it's
an
attitude.
It's
about
the
Generation
X
overseas
who
aren't
comfortable
in
their
own
skin.
The
question
is
-
why
ape
the
west
when
the
very
basics
of
Indianness
have
so
much
to
offer?
Wasn't
there
a
point
when
you
wanted
to
settle
in
Canada
yourself?
That
may
have
been
a
passing
thought
when
I
was
feeling
low..
but
today,
I've
understood
that
there's
no
place
like
home.
We
should
stop
treating
ghar
ki
murghi
daal
baraabar.