By:
Subhash
K.
Jha,
IndiaFM
Friday,
23,
November,
2007
He
admits
he
plays
the
second
lead
in
Vivek
Agnihotri's
Dhan
Dhana
Dhan
Goal.
"But
that's
not
why
I've
been
missing
from
the
promotional
interviews," Arshad
Warsi,
all
set
to
launch
his
production
house,
is
hunky-dory.
"I
was
in
bed
for
two
weeks.
I
had
terrible
allergy
attack.
My
face
was
completely
swollen.
It
started
with
a
viral
fever.
But
after
two
days
I
started
getting
itchy
and
swollen.
I
had
kept
time
aside
for
Goal
promo.
Thank
God
I
wasn't
the
only
actor
in
the
project.
That
would've
been
disastrous."
Arshad
realizes
he
needs
to
do
films
that
are
more
"me
-centric".
"But
I
can't
complain.
I
got
into
Goal
with
my
eyes
closed.
And
I'm
very
honestly
saying
the
problems
with
John
and
Bipasha
were
highly
exaggerated
by
the
media.
Bipasha
is
a
very
honest
clean-cut
girl.
I
had
no
problems
with
either
her
or
John."
He
admits
there
was
a
problem
with
the
narration.
"I
get
so
involved
with
my
character
and
go
so
deep
into
it
that
I
become
one
with
my
character.
When
the
character
starts
going
haywire
I
have
to
protest."
Arshad
found
his
character
getting
inconsistent
on
a
couple
of
occasions.
"Nothing
major….But
I
remember
there
was
a
moment
when
after
a
football
match
my
character
suddenly
had
to
behave
in
a
weird
and
aggressive
way.
I
couldn't
understand
why
I
had
to
be
presented
in
that
way."
He
admits
the
dialogue
was
changed.
"But
it
was
a
minor
thing.
And
I
made
sure
my
character
wasn't
inconsistent.
I
knew
Goal
was
John's
film,
and
I
knew
what
I
had
to
do
with
my
character.
I
was
given
a
fair
deal
all
the
way
to
the
promotion
and
publicity.
It's
like
Om
Shanti
Om.
It
is
Shah
Rukh's
film.
Arjun
Rampal
couldn't
be
in
all
the
publicity.
Likewise
Goal
is
John's
film."
Arshad
says
casting
himself
in
the
lead
isn't
his
primary
motivation
for
turning
producer.
"I'm
not
producing
a
film
to
play
the
lead.
I
thought
of
an
idea
and
I
wrote
the
script.
I
told
Raja
Sen
to
direct
it
and
I
asked
him
to
tell
me
which
actors
he
wants.
He
said
he
wanted
me."
Naseeruddin
Shah
and
Konkona
Sen-Sharma
are
the
other
two
actors
Arshad
wants
in
his
first
production.
"In
the
meanwhile
I've
done
two
films
Sunday
and
Krazzy
4
with
Irrfan
Khan."He's
so
completely
different
in
both.
And
we
both
play
the
lead
in
Krazzy
4.
That's
one
film
where
I
get
enough
space
to
qualify
me
as
the
lead.
The
director
Raja
Sen
is
methodical.
Now
that
he's
directing
for
me
I
managed
to
get
all
the
crew
in
place
when
my
shooting
starts
six
months
from
now.
That's
how
I
want
to
work.
Who
wants
extra
headaches?"
All
said
and
Dhan-dhana-done
Arshad
is
proud
of
Goal.
"It's
my
first
non-comedy
role
in
a
long
time.
I
got
to
do
a
serious
role
after
Saher.
And
that
for
me
was
a
big
attraction.
Secondly,
I
got
to
play
football.
That
was
very
interesting.
"
Ask
Arshad
if
Vivek
Agnihotri
is
a
good
director.
And
Arshad
gets
candid.
"He's
a
good
technician.
He
has
a
method
to
his
madness.
He
visualizes
and
executes
well.
"
He
describes
Dhan
Dhana
Dhan
Goal
as
a
bright
sports
film.
"Chak
De
India
had
an
element
of
realism.
Goal
is
an
out-and-out
entertainer.
I'd
like
to
be
accepted
in
a
serious
role.
Don't
look
at
me
as
a
comedian
in
this
film.
When
you
leave
Goal
you'll
walk
out
with
John.
But
you
won't
forget
me.
"