He is best remembered as Ram Prasad/Laxman Prasad Sharma, the accountant who doubled up as his own wayward brother to satisfy the whims and fancies of his moustachioed boss Bhavani Prasad (Utpal Dutt) in Golmaal, one of the funniest films to ever come out of the Bollywood film factory. But now, Amol Palekar, the young hapless lover boy of Choti Si Baat; the street smart errand boy of Naram Garam and the cold-blooded killer of Khamosh is ready with his latest offering ? the Shah Rukh Khan-Rani Mukherjee starrer Paheli.

Paheli is a whimsical Rajasthani folktale, an eternal triangle story with a supernatural twist. In this case, the husband leaves his wife (Rani Mukherjee) on their wedding night and she falls in love with a ghost (Shah Rukh Khan). The husband returns after five years to discover this highly irregular state of affairs. Palekar shot the film in just 47 days.

?I had read the story years ago and thought that it deserves to be interpreted in the visual medium. So, now after all these years the dream has been fulfilled,? says Palekar. He refuses to confirm the story, but it?s said that he approached Shah Rukh to act in the movie. But the latter was so impressed by the story that he offered to produce it. Produced under Red Chillies Entertainment banner, Paheli is set to hit the screens on June 17. With its formidable lead pair it?s already attracted lots of interest both among moviegoers and in the industry itself.

?I have made Paheli exactly the way I wished to make it. I haven?t compromised on anything ? be it the script or the visual treatment. Had I not taken Shah Rukh or Rani and made Paheli with less well-known actors, I would have made exactly the same film. I approached them as actors and their stardom and its benefits are just incidental. I am just happy that my film is being noticed and am sure that there will be a greater number of people who?ll drop in to watch Paheli,? states Palekar.

Besides the lead stars, Paheli has a host of A-list actors from mainstream Bollywood. The big names who made an appearance include Amitabh Bachchan, Juhi Chawla, Suniel Shetty, Anupam Kher, Rajpal Yadav and Aditi Gowitrikar among others. Adds Palekar, ?Each one has been selected for his/her talent. Big, small or cameo ? every character has an important role to play and contributes to the film in some way. Their star status is just a bonus!?

Palekar, who quit acting in 1986 after starring in a negative role in Vidhu Vinod Chopra?s Khamosh insists he doesn?t miss acting and says he got into it by accident. ?I am an actor by accident, producer by compulsion and director by choice,? laughs the actor, who is also a graduate from the J.J. School of Arts, Mumbai. He first tried his hand at direction with Marathi plays and later moved to the silver screen.

?As a director I utilise all that I have learnt and gained in my career as an actor. Having been a actor, I understand the actor?s discomfort and difficulty while I understand the visual aspect as I am a painter myself,? states Palekar, who made his first film Akriet in 1981. The film, based on the Manvat murders, was awarded a Special Jury Award at the Three Continents Festival, Nantes, France. His other films include Ankahee, Thodasa Roomani Ho Jayen, Banagarwadi, Daayraa, Kairee, Dhyasparva and Aanahat.

The fact is that Palekar has always been fascinated by the position of women in society. His thematic journey reveals itself when you look over his track record as a director. Aanhat delves into a woman?s right to choose a sexual partner post-marriage and Kairee questions the view that women must lead a selfless existence. Says Palekar, ?In Paheli too I have tried to question the woman?s position in society. All my films have a woman as the central character. Another theme I have been thinking about is how our society deals with marginalised people. There are many ideas but let?s see what works out first.?

As a painter too, Palekar has been busy. He recently designed the cover of Gulzar?s book of poetry Rabi Par and has designed the cover and done the sketches for a book by Marathi poet Soumitra. ?Many people don?t know that I am a painter and have held seven one-man exhibitions and participated in several group shows,? he says.

Palekar in real life is as simple and unassuming as some of the characters he has played on screen. ?I?ve given a fine performance in each and every film,? he says. And a look at Golmaal is enough to prove how Palekar immortalised a regular football-loving accountant for generations to smile at.

Photograph of Amol Palekar by Gajanan Dudhalkar