You started writing Humshakals at the lowest point of your career.

Oh yes! We had taken a little break for Himmatwala and had decided to commence work on Humshakals on April 2 last year. We had thought that the success of Himmatwala would put us in a good mood to write this film. But April 2 turned out to be like doomsday for us because Himmatwala flopped. I had to reboot my thought process and get away from the negativity and I decided to write the funniest things I could, because I needed to laugh. The idea was to have three actors in double roles. After a month of writing, I thought what if there were two actors in triple role and one in double role. Then I decided to push the envelope even further and have all three actors in triple roles… what confusion! We spent a month more and finally cracked the screenplay.

Is it understood that Riteish Deshmukh will be a part of all your films?

I don’t see myself ever making a film without Riteish. He offers me a certain comfort zone. I am also a little selfish when it comes to Riteish. I mostly make comedies and Riteish is one of the best comedic talents we’ve had in years.

You’ve always worked with ensemble casts. What’s the best way to keep the actors’ ego at bay?

Break the ice with everyone even before you start filming. One needs to have fun with them, laugh and talk about madcap stuff. Then making the film becomes so much easier.

In the past there have never been stories of actors not getting along on your sets. Then what happened with Bipasha Basu this time?

It’s all manufactured. There was no stress between Bipasha, Tamannaah and Esha (Gupta).

So why is Bipasha not a part of the promotions?

You must ask her that. Perhaps she feels that her role is not big enough. I have made ensemble cast films all my life and I have never cheated anyone. She has exactly the role that was narrated to her in front of five people, including her manager. I am all right with her not promoting the film. Quite honestly, where is the space? There are seven of us already promoting the film. Of course we would have loved it if she was a part of it, but her absence doesn’t make a difference. [Bipasha, meanwhile, has tweeted her take on her no-show.]

There is a sense that you’ve mellowed since Himmatwala… Not mellowed. I am completely overhauled. I have come to terms with myself as a person. I think I was more fun before I turned into an oversmart, arrogant, I-can-never-go-wrong pr**k. It took one thud on the face with a film like Himmatwala that I had made such tall claims about. I gave people enough reason to lynch me. At some point, I realised that I was just talking because I wanted to grab a headline and not because I believed in what I was saying! I thank god that Himmatwala didn’t work because I would have become even more arrogant. Himmatwala’s failure was my personal success. I found my mojo again. There are people who believe that if Humshakals does well, I’ll go back to being arrogant, but I don’t think so.

Is this change also reflected in your work?

Absolutely! I would like to think that Humshakals is my funniest film yet because I’m the funniest I have ever been. I am in a happy place.

You did burn a few bridges in the last year, especially with producer Sajid Nadiadwala, who was one of your closest friends...

Bridges never get burnt. You just avoid them. Nadiadwala and I had a 17-year friendship, so there is no doubt in my mind that we will be friends again. The best of relationships go sour.... All it takes is one phone call. I promise you that before the end of this year, we’ll get back as friends. Perhaps we’ll never work together, which is fair enough. It was work stress that led to the demise of our friendship.

What about Ajay Devgn and Akshay Kumar?

There is nothing wrong with my relationship with Ajay or Akshay. Wait, let me just call Ajay and we’ll laugh at these rumours.

(Dials Ajay and puts the phone on speaker)

Ajay: Hello.

Sajid: Sir, you are on loudspeaker and I am being asked if we are friends or enemies.

Ajay: Enemies. Why?

Sajid: (Laughs loudly) Chal, theek hai.

Ajay: You are the biggest b*****d on earth.

Sajid: (Laughs) Kameeney!

Ajay: You want me to say more?

Sajid: Nahin. This much is enough. I’ll call you later (hangs up).

Here you go. I hope you print this.

My relationship with Ajay or Akshay goes beyond success and failure.

Do you know what you are doing next?

Of course. It will be a comedy for UTV and Saif (Ali Khan). I will start work only in July. I haven’t taken a single day off since April 2012. So after Humshakals, I am going to sleep for four days straight and then get back to work.

WHERE’S BIPASHA?

@bipsluvurself (Bipasha Basu)

This is to put an end to all the discussions around my absence for Humshakals promotions. I take full responsibility of getting into a film only on the basis of trust. But after dubbing for my character in the film, as I had professionally committed to do so I’m extremely disturbed by the end result of the same. In these circumstances I didn’t know how to promote a film with all honesty and that’s why I thought it was better to stay away. I am confident that the film will be true to its genre and will be a full entertainer because of the people involved.... Sometimes, certain journeys cannot be completed and this is one of them — no one to be blamed, combination of things that made me disrupt my journey.