Comic Relief

There are no comparisons. When director Rohit Shetty was planning this film,the basic germ of thought came from Hrishi kaku’s (Hrishikesh Mukherjee) Gol Maal. Hence,Rohit thought that it is ethical to buy the rights of the film. Small quirks of the characters like the ‘moustache’ could be similar.

Were you comfortable doing a Rohit Shetty’s brand of comedy?

I am not uncomfortable,but filmmakers assume I am better at drab and intense roles. Comedy,however,is tough work. In this film,my energy level had to be 100 per cent at all times.

Whose idea was it to rope in Amitabh Bachchan for the title track?

It was Rohit’s idea. But with dad on the sets,it is always fun. I am,however very nervous,because you are up against the best in the business.

Professionally,you have had a lean phase of late. Do you think this was a result of some wrong decisions?

The decisions you take are never wrong. The films can go wrong. No actor walks into a film saying that he wants a flop. Or no actor does a film because it strategically does not make sense. Sometimes,the time isn’t right.

Does failure hurt you immensely?

Of course,it does. It’s crushing. Some actors have the ability to develop a thick skin and move on. But I’m not one of those. I find it very difficult to take it in my stride. You give a film your best,and when it fails,it’s like somebody telling you your best isn’t good enough. It is never an easy pill to swallow.

How do you cope with it?

I don’t. Failure has a way of coping with you. You need to take it chin-up,move ahead and immerse yourself in work.

Do you think with Rohit Shetty,at the helm,Bol Bachchan can turn things around for you?

I did not do the film because Rohit was making it; I did it because I was drawn to the script. In my last 12 years,I have learnt never to base a decision on the track record of people making it. Just because a director has made eight superhit films,does not mean his next eight films will also be hits. Each film comes with its own destiny.

How’s your daughter Aaradhya doing?

Very good. Since I was doing just Bol Bachchan,I got a lot of time to spend with my baby,play with her,talk to her and do all those things that any other father would.

A lot was recently written and spoken about Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan’s weight gain. You did not speak in her defence or otherwise. Why?

I wasn’t in the country when all this was happening. I was out on work.

Did it bother you?

It did. It was really disgusting. I don’t talk about women that way and I certainly don’t appreciate women in my family being spoken about that way. I understand we are public figures but we are also human beings. But then the media will always talk and always have the last word. So we must carry on with our life. Like Aishwarya says: “All this is just a drop in the ocean compared to all the love and respect we get from everyone around. We should just overlook it.”