Getting CHOOSY

I enjoyed the entire shooting schedule in Melbourne. Generally on such schedules,we shoot for about 17 hours a day but thanks to the Australian laws, we could only shoot for 10 hours. We also had Sundays off. With so much free time on our hands,we had a blast!

Crook is about Indian students facing racism abroad8230;have you ever faced this sort of thing on any of your visits abroad?
Yes,it happened when Mohit was not allowed inside a club while another local was. But why do we jump the cart when a thing like this happens abroad? Before we point a finger at Australia or any other country,shouldn8217;t we look into our own backyard and the problems in our nation? Discrimination happens all the time here thanks to a few people who are politically or personally motivated. I fail to understand these things because my dad is a Muslim,my mother a Catholic and my wife a Hindu.

So it8217;s a film with a message?
It8217;s not a preachy film,but I hope the film starts a debate and a discussion on the topic because frankly all this happens because of a handful of people who show disrespect towards other cultures.

Your character Jai Dixit in the film has a motto..it8217;s good to be bad. Do you agree with him?
Yes I can relate to his beliefs to an extent as I also had my own way of living when I was growing up. I was a brat,and a bit on the arrogant side. But Jai goes a little beyond that. He thinks that the good guys get trampled all over and finish last. Also he is very ambitious and wants to take shortcuts to achieve his dream,but circumstances bring about a change in him.

Is it intentional on your part to play characters with grey shades?
Other heroes like to play positive characters,I like characters with realism,like those who have feelings like jealousy and the urge to do unethical things. People relate to these characters because they are believable. In real life too,I respect good people but I am comfortable with people who have done something wrong in their lives.

So we won8217;t see you playing the good guy.
Of course I might,in a couple of years,but right now I am very happy playing these characters.

How did the super-hit Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai change things for you?
I won8217;t deny that the film is my biggest commercial hit. But monetarily,I haven8217;t got that richer,if that8217;s what you mean! Anyways,I don8217;t do films to make money. It8217;s a way to stay afloat. A successful film buys you more time in the industry.

Will we see you playing more parts like Shoaib Khan of Once8230;?
No no,that would defeat my purpose. I don8217;t believe in playing a part again and again because it has done well. I want to challenge myself and do something more risky. Once Upon8230;was in itself a risky subject,with the anti-hero and all that. Three years ago,when we started the film all of us were apprehensive whether the audience would accept a film like that or not.

What about the sequel to the film?
There8217;s no confirmation as to when it will start,but yes,it is being written.

What about the sequels to Jannat and Murder?
Kunal Deshmukh is still scripting Jannat,because he wants to get the story in place. It has to be bigger,better and bolder. Hopefully it should start next year. There are a lot of controversies going on in cricket and we will be taking another area of match-fixing. Then there is Murder 2. We hope to start shooting that in November. See I am not a part of the sequels just because they are being made. The sequel has to be better as people have a lot of expectations from them. We have to work harder and come out with novel scripts.

How do you juggle between the films you do for your uncle Mukesh Bhatt and outside projects?
I just balance it out. I do what I have to do outside,and then I come to my uncle8217;s office and we work on scripts. Presently,we are working on Murder 2.

Is it true that you were against doing a kissing scene in Crook and there was a debate about it with your uncles?
I am as much as part of the film as anyone else and if I feel strongly about something we always discuss it.

How was the experience of working in a comedy Dil Toh Bachcha Hai Ji?
It was a different medium for me but I quite enjoyed it. Whether my efforts are fruitful or not,the audience will tell me. Thankfully the film is not an over-the-top comedy,but a slice of life about how funny things happen to us in our day-to-day lives.

How has fatherhood changed you?
Fatherhood has disciplined me,and taught me to manage my time between home and the sets. I don8217;t want my son to call me Uncle when he grows up,so I make sure I play with him and feed him before he goes to sleep,though I leave diaper-changing to my wife. And no,I have not become more mature!