Sex is no big deal for Kareena

Is Bewafaa a rehash of Gumraah?No. Like they say at the start of a movie, any resemblance to any other film is purely coincidental. So, let&...

Is Bewafaa a rehash of Gumraah?
No. Like they say at the start of a movie, any resemblance to any other film is purely coincidental. So, let’s leave it at that.

Do you ever feel that you can never match Raja Hindustani?
It’s quite a cross to bear. If you ask Ramesh Sippy, he’ll say the same about Sholay. Thankfully for me, Dhadkan followed Raja Hindustani, so everyone knows that I’m not just a one hit wonder. I deal with it as best as I can and try to look ahead.

Have you ever analysed the failure of Mela and Haan Maine Bhi Pyaar Kiya?
Post-mortems are best left behind. I just didn’t get it right.

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Do you think you are too commercial?
I’ve always tried to strike a balance between creativity and commerce. I want my films to reach the maximum number of people. Look at Amitabh Bachchan—when you watch Mere Angane Mein, you’re not thinking that his father wrote Madhushala.

The women in your films have a strong voice. Are you a women’s director?
That isn’t right. I am a performer’s director. Akshay Kumar and Suniel Shetty came to be regarded as actors after Dhadkan.

You always manage to get your heroines to do what you want. Karisma Kapoor smooched, now Kareena will bare her back.
They trust me implicitly, and I don’t ask them to do anything they’re not comfortable with. Let’s be honest, cinema is a commercial art. But I never do anything vulgar. Besides, the kiss in Raja Hindustani was the film’s turning point.

In Bewafaa, is Kareena’s bare back also a turning point?
You say that as if I force my actors to expose. All I can do is request. As for Kareena, I needed to make her more feminine, to tone down her in-your-face attitude.

How are Kareena and Karisma different?
Karisma the actor is exactly like the person. She is a nervous and frightened actor, extremely worried about what her mother and other people will think. But she brings a certain vulnerability to the screen. Kareena, on the other hand, is a star. She is not frightened of anything, she’s very honest and open. Sex is no big deal for her. Karisma is about technique, while Kareena is all feel.

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I can sulk with him, tick him off and give him a bear hug, all at the same time. He never gets on my head, and I’m never at his feet

Are you at war with Aamir Khan?
No, I just haven’t met him in five years. I think we both outgrew each other after Mela. But we do share a history through Raja Hindustani, and if anything good comes along, we are both mature enough to think about working together again.

Akshay Kumar is a permanent fixture in your films.
Akshay is my favourite person. I am very proud of him. Our relationship is based on equality. I can sulk with him, tick him off and give him a bear hug, all at the same time. He never gets on my head and I’m never at his feet. One day, I will direct his son Aarav.

Do you model your life on Aditya Chopra?
Adi and I resemble each other in our looks and natures. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Adi. Despite being Yash Chopra’s son, he has his own identity. We are good friends, but I don’t ape him. In fact, I’ve tried to pay tribute to him in Bewafaa—Anil Kapoor plays a gentleman whose name is Aditya.

Your relationship with your brother Suneel Darshan is quite strained…
We have a civil relationship. Sometimes we love each other and sometimes we hate each other. We are two different kinds of professionals and we don’t mix that with family.