It
almost
didn't
happen
for
the
first
debutant
of
2008.
Nikhil
Dwivedi
was
almost
ousted
from
his
debut
film
My
Name
Is
Anthony
Gonsalves
when
the
corporate
house
which
director
E
Niwas
approached
to
produce
the
film,
insisted
the
director
work
with
Vivek
Oberoi
instead
of
the
newcomer.
When
confronted
with
this
historical
trivia
on
the
destiny
of
his
debut
Dwivedi
demurs.
"I
wouldn't
like
to
name
anyone.
But
an
actor
who
was
very
hot
and
happening
a
few
years
ago
did
want
to
do
My
Name
Is
Anthony
Gonsalves
My
director
Niwas
was
very
clear
that
the
script
would
only
work
with
a
newcomer,
and
that
too
me.
He
threw
all
caution
to
the
winds
and
decided
to
produce
Anthony
on
his
own
along
with
Sahara
One," divulges
Dwivedi
who
claims
to
be
a
die
hard
Bachchan
fan.
"I
remember
as
a
child
watching
Mr
Bachchan
in
Suhaag.
Today
it's
a
coincidence
that
my
debut
film
gets
its
title
from
a
popular
song
in
a
film
featuring
with
Mr
Bachchan.
That
isn't
all.
No
one
knows
this.
But
I
was
actually
supposed
to
make
my
debut
with
a
small
role
that
E
Niwas
had
offered
me
in
an
Aftab
Shivdasani
-
Esha
Deol
romance
called
Jaane
Kaise
Kab
Kahan,
again
a
song
from
a
Bachchan
flick.
I
love
that
title,
and
I've
asked
Niwas
to
give
it
to
me
for
a
future
film,"
gushes
the
newcomer
who
claims
to
be
finely...
tuned
to
every
detail
about
Hindi
cinema.
Fortunately
for
Nikhil,
he
desisted
from
playing
the
bit
role
of
Esha's
fiance
in
the
shelved
film.
"What
has
to
happen
will
happen,"
philosophizes
the
youngster
with
oodles
of
confidence.
Nikhil
plays
a
bartender
and
a
Bollywood
struggler
in
My
Name
Is
Anthony
Gonsalves.
He's
all
praise
for
his
co-star
Amrita
Rao.
"Five
years
have
passed
since
she
came
into
the
industry.
Even
today
Amrita's
hunger
and
anxiety
to
excel
in
every
shot
remains
unchanged.
I
like
that.
Somewhere
I
too
want
to
be
insecure
even
after
25
films."
In
fact,
Nikhil
has
already
got
three
more
films
in
his
kitty.
"One
is
a
remake
of
Rahul
Rawail's
1978
Sunny
Deol
starrer
Arjun
which
Shivum
Nair
is
directing
and
Anurag
Kashyap
is
writing."
The
original
film
about
an
unemployed
youth
being
sucked
politics
and
corruption
is
no
longer
valid.
Kashyap
is
re-writing
the
script
for
Nikhil
Dwivedi.
"Unemployment
is
no
longer
a
burning
issue,"
opines
Nikhil.
"Today
with
so
many
avenues
of
work
for
youngsters
like
call
centres,
I
think
Arjun
needed
a
new
interpretation.
Besides
Arjun
I
have
two
other
films
to
be
produced
by
K
Sera
Sera
and
Sahara
One."
Nikhil
Dwivedi
seems
to
have
found
the
most
appropriate
godfather
in
Shahrukh
Khan
who
apparently
has
taken
the
newcomer
under
his
wings.
Nikhil
apparently
hangs
around
Khan
quite
often.
Surprisingly,
the
debutant
pooh-poohs
the
sugar-daddy
theory.
"I
think
too
much
has
been
made
of
Shahrukh's
interest
in
my
career.
It
isn't
even
a
fraction
of
what
it's
made
out
to
be.
Sure
his
company
Red
Chillies
is
the
line
producer
of
My
Name
Is
Anthony
Gonsalves.
But
that's
because
he
believed
in
the
project.
Beyond
that,
Shahrukh's
interest
in
me
and
my
career
is,
I
think,
reasonable.
He
did
release
the
music
of
my
film.
Wouldn't
he
do
that
for
any
newcomer
who
requests
him
to?"
Clearly
this
newcomer
has
his
act
together.
"I'm
aware
that
2007
had
a
large
number
of
commendable
male
newcomers.
Should
I
be
happy
to
be
coming
in
2008?
I
don't
think
so.
Every
film
and
actor
have
their
own
destiny.
How
I'm
accepted
by
audiences
doesn't
depend
on
the
competition
but
my
intrinsic
merits.
I'll
survive
not
because
of
competition
or
Shahrukh's
backing
but
only
if
audiences
approve
of
me"
Story first published: Friday, January 11, 2008, 15:04 [IST]