Q:Salaam Namaste is another urban romantic comedy...

A bit of planning went into it. When I did Hum Tum, I was offered Parineeta which worked to my advantage. I wasn’t really offered Parineeta to begin with?It’s really quite funny what happened. The film’s producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra told me not to do second leads. The next thing I knew he offered me the second lead in Parineeta. So I said I wasn’t interested. But he said he didn’t see me as the hero Shekhar?not enough pain in the eyes. I looked too affluent. But director Pradeep Sarkar thought I could do it. Both Vidya Balan and I were screen-tested. In my arrogance I thought it was only she who was being tested, and ended up doing it quite well. Parineeta made money and my performance was appreciated. Dada (Sarkar) has got what it takes. He’s helping with the visuals of Chopra’s Eklavya.

Q:Salaam Namaste looks like Hum Tum?

It does. The similarities in language, setting and vibes are bound to be there. Salaam Namaste has the kind of energy that I was looking for. You know the kind of frantic energy that teenagers look for. The film exudes a ‘Yash Raj’ reality. It didn’t take me long to memorise the dialogues.

Q:Isn’t there a danger of you being typecast in these urban romances?

And I don’t mind that. As long as I can relate to the stories. The fights that me and Preity have and the dialogues we exchange are so close to home that I went ‘wow’ when I first heard them. At the same time I want to balance out these urban romances with something like Parineeta or Eklavya which take me to a different sphere. Surprisingly, it wasn’t tough for me to do Parineeta though it was my first period film. Maybe, after so many years of waiting for the big chance one tends to put in all one’s effort in getting it right when the opportunity finally comes. Having done that, it was time for me to get a funky haircut and get completely into character in Salaam Namaste. If I had come straight from Hum Tum to Salaam Namaste without stopping over at Parineeta I wouldn’t have enjoyed the experience so much.

Q:How’s your comfort level with Preity Zinta after Kal Ho Na Ho?

Actually, there was some discomfort between us during Kal Ho Na Ho thanks to the gossip about us which was completely disruptive, though I don’t blame the gossip writers. Preity and I hardly saw each other off the sets in New York. She had her own set of friends. But definitely we were seen together a lot laughing and having a generally good time. Our friendship was so cool that it didn’t take much to make up a story. And since I was committed to my marriage then it made things a little awkward between Preity and me.

Q:How does the new woman in your life, Rosa, handle such rumours?

It would upset any woman. If there’s a trust and understanding between you, then it doesn’t matter. But I come from a school of thought which believes there can be no smoke without fire. But with Preity there was no fire and no smoke. I was completely comfortable working with Preity in both Kal Ho Na Ho and Salaam Namaste. The director Siddhartha Anand wanted us to look like real lovers. When we sit in the movie on the sofa with our arms around each other it doesn’t look fake. But I’ve never hit on Preity. And she knows it.

Q:Would you like to form a hit pair with Preity? I’d rather work with new people. Maybe, do a thriller. I’ve one other film, Being Cyrus, for release. I wanted to see how I’d work in an English language film. It was a completely different experience. Hindi is a far more expressive language. To hit the right notes took a little bit of working?. But I’ve a sense of commercial cinema. Salaam Namaste offered me that comfort. I signed it, not just because it was a Yash Raj Film, but because I loved the script. Now I’m doing Eklavya where Mr Bachchan plays the title role. But I’ve a pivotal role. No more supporting parts for me.

Q:Why do you say ‘no’ to so many films?

Because I’m scared of going into an enviroment that’s alien to me. I’m not saying Hum Tum and Salaam Namaste are the only kind of films I want to do. But Yash Raj Films have spoilt me. Everything has been pretty haphazard in comparison. Salaam Namaste had an AD (assistant director) on the sets. That’s someone I discovered on the sets of Dil Chahta Hai for the first time. He’s the guy who makes things happen. I’m scared of doing films with directors who want me because I’m doing well. Why can’t we be like America where there are different kind of actors for specific films. We should have Bobby Deol/Hrithik Roshan/Shah Rukh Khan films. Likewise, if people say Salaam Namaste looks like Hum Tum I don’t mind. It means I’m getting an image. That’s the role of big-time bread-and-butter for me. I don’t mind being typecast in that sense. But, please, not as the guy who gets the award for best comic actor.

Q:Did the National Award for Hum Tum surprise you?

Completely! I thought they had given it to me for Parineeta. Fortunately, I wasn’t in the country when it was announced. But I got a whole bunch of SMSs saying, well done. I thought if actors in the commercial parameters were considered, then why not me? A lot of people expected Shah Rukh Khan to get it for Swades. I haven’t seen Swades. He’s a very accomplished star. And has won many awards. But if you put two commercial performances before a jury it isn’t inconceivable that they like one performance more than the other. In any case, I’m used to raised eyebrows.