I am extremely fond of films based on relationships and Gangster is my favourite Anurag Basu film.

Gangster is about passion, love, hate, guilt, trust, tears and joy, and Anurag has done a brilliant job. He has got everything perfect in the film. It’s entertaining, emotional and honest. Every frame, dialogue and movement was so well executed. Anurag approaches his scripts with a clear vision and never strays from it.

It takes a lot to make a film like Gangster with a newcomer. Kangana (Ranaut) was absolutely new, but her character (Simran) has come out so flesh-and-blood. And why Kangana alone? Even Shiney Ahuja and Emraan Hashmi were brilliant.

The passion in Gangster is so intense that sometimes I sit back and wonder how Anurag could conceive such a story and have the courage to cast newcomers. It was such a risk! But credit goes to him for extracting the best from his actors. I am sure he is a very passionate person by nature too.

At least he appeared to be so when we spoke to each other over the phone. Not only is he a good film-maker, he is a very nice human being too, and that is reflected in his films. I would love to do a film with someone as honest and true as Anurag if he approaches me again.

(For those not in the know, Anurag Basu had first asked Koel to play Simran. Koel’s loss was Kangana’s gain!)