Screen India, October 19, 2007, Chaya Unnikrishnan

After Water you had predicted that the next film to do the rounds of festivals would be No Smoking...
(Cuts in) Wasn’t I right? No Smoking is premiering at the Rome Film Festival and Francis Ford Coppola said that he loved it. When I was shooting the ‘item’ number with Bipasha, these guys from Rome had come down and said they liked my performance. I give the entire credit to Anurag. The script is awesome.

The promos of No Smoking give the impression that it’s a dark film.
Not at all! It’s a different film yes, but a complete commercial entertainer. In fact, it is totally humorous.

How was it working with Anurag Kashyap?
With Anurag, it’s like being on a roller-coaster ride. He shoots each scene so beautifully. Would you believe, he made me and Ranvir play 12-year-olds instead of getting two little boys. We have worn boxer shorts, ganjees, specs and kept our hair short. Anurag is completely crazy, a genius.

Have you quit smoking now?
Yes, completely. A non-smoker, I had started smoking for the film. However, I gave up the day we stopped shooting. Unlike what people think, it’s very easy to kick the butt. It’s all in the mind.

What’s the film all about?
It’s about a chain-smoker whose wife leaves him because of his addiction. He joins a rehabilitation center on the advice of a Baba Bengali, played by Paresh Rawal. You see these pamphlets posted on local trains which proclaim that the baba has a solution to all problems. Baba Bengali is that character. But to know what happens next, you will have to watch the film.

The film is trying to achieve what the public service campaigns have been advocating for years. Do you think the film will bring home the message?
We have a certain target audience and I am sure it will serve its purpose. Anyone who wants to give up smoking, even passive smoking for that matter, should watch the film.

Heard that you lost a lot of weight for Nagesh Kukunoor’s Ashayein.
Aashayein is the kind of a film that one gets once in a lifetime. It is akin to what Saraansh was for Anupam Kher. If I have to do a film like this again I will do so only after six years. Then take a break of 8-10 months. This kind of film is emotionally draining. I lost tremendous weight - from six meals a day I had come down to one meal a day - sometimes I used to forgo even that. I had become a recluse, withdrawn into a shell and was cut off from the outside world. Nagesh and Elahe (Nagesh’s assistant) started getting worried. Nagesh told me I only need to act, not live like that. But I persisted.

What prompted you to do it?
I agree it was a crazy thing to do, but it helped me to get into the skin of the character and got the best out of me.

Though the title Ashayein is very positive, you seem to have been melancholic throughout the making.
It is an extremely positive film but I had to go through sad things to make it hopeful.

Were you affected by reports of Bipasha’s and Saif’s affair...
(Cuts in) I think Bipasha herself went through trying times, but she is a tough lady and has emerged stronger.

Don’t you think Chak De!India’s success will have an impact on Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal since it revolves around a sport as well?
It will and positively at that. Chak De!India has made life easier for Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal and I am confident that it will be a commercial success too. Goal is a different film and football is an exciting game to watch. In terms of popularity, it comes right next to cricket in India. Even United Manchester has tied up with the film because they felt the film has an international look. Frankly, Goal is not just about sports. The soul of the film lies in the spirit of brotherhood and love. It is romantic, funny, sporty and inspirational. It will get youngsters interested in football just the way Dhoom had kickstarted a craze for bikes.

Aren’t the players in the film looking too old to inspire the youth?
The script is about a bunch of Asian losers, who are past their prime and have got together to prove a point. It’s about me playing for an all-white club. Since I love football I have done various stunts like the bicycle kick and throwing the ball from the neck. When people watch it they will know I have done it. I would love to do another sports film.

You and Arshad Warsi had a lot of differences during the making...
Yes, but they were only creative differences. He is a close friend of mine and there are no problems between us. In fact, I didn’t clarify any of the controversies, whether it was Salman’s issue, the unsavoury rumours about Bipasha or the problems with Arshad. That’s because I have decided I am not going to react. As time unfolds, the truth comes out.

Is the Sriram Raghavan film with Aishwarya still on?
As far as I know Aishwarya is playing the lead opposite me. (Though I haven’t checked the mail today morning!)

You are getting into big banners with Dharma Productions.
I always choose roles with my gut instinct and script. Dharma Productions’ film has Abhishek and me. The heroine is yet to be finalised. The other films in the pipeline include a UTV film with Anurag, another film with Sriram and Imtiaz Ali’s Rockstar. All these films have an awesome script.

You are also doing Deepa Mehta’s Exclusion and Luna. Which will roll first?
I think Luna will happen first. It is an environment-friendly film, very today and I am not supposed to be saying more than that.

Didn’t you mind being called an uncle in the Pepsi ad with Shah Rukh Khan?
When I heard the concept I was totally sold out. I have no problem being called an uncle. On the contrary I found the ad really cute. Shah Rukh Khan and I were laughing through the shoot. SRK is gracious and a lot of fun. We had such a ball and at the end of the day the ad has done what it intended to do.

So any project with SRK in the offing?
Right now there’s nothing. But let’s wait and watch.

Any more brand endorsements in the near future?
No, but I want to retain all my old brands including Castor, Clinic, Wrangler, Fast Track and the John Abraham Line. With my clothesline doing well, I hope they won’t think of changing the model!

How do you select your brands?
I endorse products that suit my attitude and my demography, the way I am. We have to complement each other.