The
story
goes
that
Akshay
Kumar
took
to
his
turban,
kirpan
and
beard
in
Singh
Is
Kinng
with
unconditional
gusto.
But
Om
Puri
who
plays
Akshay's
friend
in
Anees
Bazmee's
film
had
a
problem
with
the
beard.
He
refused
to
sport
one.
"That's
true," admits
Om.
"But
I
had
a
very
valid
reason
for
saying
no
to
the
beard.
Like
Amitji
my
face
is
allergic
to
beards.
I
get
rashes
from
facial
hair.
So,
I
played
the
Sardar
in
Singh
Is
Kinng
with
all
the
other
requirements
except
the
beard."
However,
for
Jagmohan
Mundhra's
Shoot
On
Sight,
Om
had
no
choice
but
to
sport
a
beard.
"It's
the
role
of
a
fundamentalist
maulvi,
a
very
powerful
part
with
dramatic
speeches,
and
I
couldn't
play
a
maulvi
without
a
beard.
But
my
face
went
through
hell,"
Om
shudders,
and
then
softens
while
talking
about
his
new
release.
"Love
Songs
Yesterday
Today&Tomorrow
is
my
gift
to
myself.
It's
a
beautiful
little
film
in
English.
And
it's
directed
by
a
very
old
friend
Jaybrato
Chatterjee.
I
did
it
because
of
Jayaji,
whom
I
had
never
worked
with
before.
Like
I
told
her,
'I
had
done
films
with
the
rest
of
the
family...Amitji,
Aishwarya,
Abhishek.
Now
the
portrait
is
complete.' I've
a
small
role
in
Love
Songs.
I
come
in
the
second-
half.
But
my
voice
is
heard
reciting
two
poems
in
the
first-
half."
Speaking
of
the
Bachchans,
Om
is
thoroughly
enjoyed
himself
shooting
with
Abhishek
in
Rakeysh
Mehra's
Dilli
6.
"I
had
a
small
but
powerful
role
in
Rakeysh's
Rang
De
Basanti.
Now
I've
far
more
space
in
Dilli
6.
I've
shot
for
nearly
forty
days.
I
play
the
girl
(Sonam
Kapoor)'s
father.
And
incidentally,
I've
also
received
an
offer
from
the
Rang
De
Basanti
writer
Rensel
D'Silva
for
his
film
with
Karan
Johar.
It's
a
powerful
piece
of
work
and
I'm
definitely
doing
it."
Work-wise
2008-9
is
one
of
Om's
best
phases
ever.
"There's
a
wide
variety
of
roles,
yes.
My
next
release
would
be
Priyadarshan's
Mere
Baap
Pehle
Aap.
It's
a
smile-a-minute
comedy.
I
play
a
middle-aged
man
desperate
to
get
married.
My
friend
Paresh
Rawal
keeps
messing
up
my
prospects
every
time
he
goes
to
negotiate
for
my
marriage."
Om
also
features
in
Priyadarshan's
next
film
with
Shahrukh
Khan.
"Don't
ask
me
what
my
role
is
because
I
don't
know.
Priyan
has
simply
blocked
my
dates
for
the
film
with
Shahrukh.
I'm
yet
to
hear
my
role.
That's
the
kind
of
equation
I
share
with
Priyan."
Story first published: Thursday, April 10, 2008, 13:12 [IST]