Pushing the boundaries

Two back-to-back successes in Force and Desi Boyz and now you have Housefull 2 coming up. Are you expecting a hat-trick?

The response to both Force and Desi Boyz has been incredible and hopefully with Housefull 2 there will be a hat-trick. I Me Aur Main should be the fourth hit in a row because it has been made with the right budget. I am hoping that each of my films work to some extent,big or small. I want all of them to be a plus for the producer. Now that I have also turned producer with Vicky Donor,which will be releasing soon,I feel that all my films should make commercial sense.

Till Force happened,you were written off as an actor. In fact,it happens whenever your films dont do well. Does it affect you?

No. In fact,it amuses me. Every time I read something negative,I laugh it off. Then they praise me. I am used to getting the brickbats and bouquets alternatively.

What prompted you to take up a film like Housefull 2 which is teeming with actors?

Firstly,I love working with Akshay Kumar. He is like my brother and we get along really well. If I have to do five more films with him,I will readily do them. When Sajid Khan offered me the film he told me,You will either love me or hate me and I decided to love him. He is a nice man. Of course,Sajid Nadiadwala is a great producer and we had such a great time that not for a single day did it feel like we were working.

You havent said anything about your role.

Youll have to watch the film first. If theres anyone who can shock the audience in terms of..trails off Let me put it this way,you wouldnt imagine John Abraham doing a Housefull 2 and hopefully audiences will want me in Housefull 3. The space of comedy,especially,slapstick comedy is extremely challenging. I have learnt a lot from Sajid and of course Akshay who is a big guiding force in this genre.

You have started shooting for Shootout At Wadala. How do you feel playing a gangster?

Playing Manya Surve in Shootout At Wadala is the role of a lifetime. I will leave no stone unturned to get this character right. From seeing pictures of Manya Surve to understanding the dialect he spoke to the clothes he wore,I have done every possible research. Whether its in terms of his hairstyle,moustache or being clean-shaven,I am going to follow his graph to the T. There are points when Manya was absolutely lean while he was studying in Kirti College in Mumbai. Later when he came out of jail,he started looking like a Mumbaishri,for which he had trained. Mumbaishris are like bodybuilders. I am going to achieve both these contrasting looks right. In short,I am going to put my blood,sweat and energy into this role.

How did this role come about?

Sanjay Gupta and I share a great chemistry. We worked together in Zinda. He approached me with another film and later happened to mention this idea. I told him to work on this first as I thought it was brilliant. Today you can ask anyone from Balaji,they will vouch for it. It is a superb script.

Interestingly,both your action films Shootout At Wadala and Race 2 are more in the news for actors walking out.

I know,but I dont need to walk out or walk in,because I do enough exercise. Laughs Jokes apart,as far as I am concerned,my shoot dates havent changed and both the films are on schedule. Also,no actor is indispensible. Tomorrow if I walk out they will find a replacement. The show must go on,the show will go on.

Tell us about your other film I Me Aur Main.

Its a film with first-time director Kapil Sharma,who I think is a powerhouse of talent. I Me Aur Main has a completely different grammar of filmmaking in terms of its projection and the message it conveys. Its a slice-of-life film presented in a different way. Its a film close to my heart and I am eager to see the audience accept it. The story revolves around a narcissistic guy who becomes a better man after he encounters different women in his life,including his girlfriend,mother,sister,his boss who also happens to be a woman and the lady who lives next door. Every woman affects him in some way and therein lies the beauty of the film.

Having done action,comedy and emotional roles,which would you say is your favourite genre?

Undoubtedly action. Thats also the most challenging genre. I love doing my own stunts. If you think Force had high-power action you should see Race 2. It is something you have never seen before in Hindi cinema. I have done 540 degree air-kicks,which are extremely difficult. I trained for a month before doing them. Unfortunately,while shooting for it,I hurt my nose but it was great fun.

Why did you choose an offbeat subject like sperm-donation for your first production Vicky Donor ?

Shoojit Sircar and I always wanted to work together and we have just finalised Jaffna based on the conflict in Sri Lanka. It is a political thriller in which I am playing an Indian peace-keeping soldier. Before that,Shoojit had approached me with a script,which was fabulous and required a new cast. He wanted me to present the film and I also loved the idea. I am so proud that it is the first baby from my production house. I have seen the film and its shaped out well. Its a romantic comedy. There are three principal characters. Ayushman Khurana is the hero,Yami Gautam is the girl and an important character Dr Chheda is being played by Annu Kapoor. It deals with the topic of sperm donation,which is taboo in our society,but the way Shoojit has handled the topic,I am sure it will bring a smile to peoples faces.

However,its important that I market it well. You know,people watch even the worst film if its marketed aggressively. The customary way of marketing is carpet bombing,where the producer buys full pages and spends money on other media. However,since I am a media planner,I have an edge and will do some media innovations. I will reach out in every possible way to young college students who will see the film not once but at least twice or thrice. I am going to push it to the best of my ability. My word has always carried weight in terms of credibility. In all humility,I will tell you that this film is outstanding.

Do you feel the audience is now more open to different kind of cinema?

Why now,even earlier we had films like Dostana touching upon a issue like homosexuality,which people didnt want to speak about. Till then,the subject was dealt with in a caricaturist way by the Hindi film industry. After Dostana,many films touched upon the topic and now Dostana 2 is going to happen once Abhishek Bachchan gets free from Dhoom 3. The point I am trying to make is that how you present a sensitive topic makes all the difference. Jism was about an extra-marital affair and I remember Mahesh Bhatt director telling me,if this works John,it means that the audience is ready to see something that is happening in society. Thats exactly what happened. Jism worked with the audience,Dostana did too and I am sure Vicky Donor will also work like magic because the subject has been dealt with in the best possible way. I will also be doing a special song for the film.

What is the song about?

It is the theme-track and is being choreographed by Bosco. I will be shooting for it on March 19 and 20. I havent decided where the song will be placed but it will mostly be in the end,before the credits roll.

Will Jaffna be your next production?

No,theres a film called Kala Ghoda starring Kunal Roy Kapoor and me. It is directed by Aditya Bhattacharya who had helmed Aamir Khans Raakh. Its a dark comedy written by Akshat Varma who scripted Delhi Belly. My productions will primarily be driven by creative content and not by stars. Being a relative newcomer myself,I am happy pushing newer talent. I am secure in my space and want to give something to the industry that has been gracious to me.

Will direction be your next step?

Yes,thats a natural progression. Right now,the actor and producer co-exist. There is a director in me and I am working on a couple of scripts.

You are always in the news for your charity work.

Cuts in Thats because I only do charity work. So much so that I have often fingers pointed at me about why I dont make enough money for myself by dancing at private functions. The best way to get me to any event is charity.

What is happening to the football academy you were planning with Baichung Butia?

We will be doing it. We had planned a football academy in Sikkim,the government has also written us a letter allotting land for it. Unfortunately,Sikkim was hit by a earthquake. Once everything is back to normal,we are going to start the academy.

Being a PETA activist,were you careful about the animals used in Housefull 2?

Yes,both Jacqueline Fernandez and I are PETA activists and we made that clear to Sajid. Even Sajid loves animals. So,we made it a point to use only fake animals. Like Sajid says,humans have been harmed more than animals in the film!