Q:Both Garam Masala and Kyon Ki?the same day?

See, basically I don’t plan anything. What has to happen, will happen?I’ve finished one more film, Malaamal Express. This one isn’t a remake. I’ve written the original screenplay myself. It’s an experimental comedy. I’ve got Riteish Deshmukh and Rimii to play the conventional leads. But the main characters are Om Puri and Paresh Rawal. They’re like Pran and Ashok Kumar in Victoria No. 203. It’s about a village that’s suffering from a drought. It’s got a typical rustic feel, like R.K. Narayan’s Malgudi Days. I love to shoot in the village. Malaamal Express will release in December.

Q:So you’ll have three releases in two months!

That’s right. But Garam Masala and Kyon Ki... are very different from each other. One is hilarious and the other is more serious. Actually, people will get to compare the two films and see my range.

Q:Lately you were typecast as a comic director.

Kyon Ki... will change that. I’m very happy with both Kareena and Salman. People regard him as one of the best actors in the country. Now I know why. He has performed with such sincerity. He would get up every morning at 4:30 to shoot. I was so thankful to him. We vibe very well. He understood my needs as director.

Q:How much of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest have you retained in Kyon Ki...?

Nothing at all. Only the spirit of the original remains. Kyon Ki... is a love story between a doctor and patient. Salman plays a man who went mad after he was betrayed in love.

Q:This sounds like Asit Sen’s Khamoshi!

I was told there are similarities. I must see Khamoshi. Kyon Ki... is very hard-hitting film. Even Garam Masala is special, though Kyon Ki... is close to my heart. It will change my image as a comic filmmaker in Mumbai.

Q: What’s the USP of Garam Masala?

No one can make a thriller with humour. I’ve done it. This one is a remake of my Malayalam film, Boeing Boeing. The first half I’ve changed. The second half is identical to the original. Garam Masala is a fun timepass film. For me, whether it’s a serious or light film, the important thing is for audiences to enjoy it. That’s what’s important. And every film should be shot and edited differently. Otherwise both the filmmaker and the audience gets bored. What finally matters is success. But I’ll never make a film that I can’t sit and watch with my daughter.

Q:What are you making now?

A film for UTV with Kareena, Shahid and Isha Sharvani. I haven’t yet got a title for it. I’ve a huge problem. My Hindi is bad. I’ve to depend on Neeraj Vora for support. The film is about a man who can speak, but pretends to be deaf and mute to win the love of a deaf and mute girl. It’s a remake of a very old Malyalam film. I’ve changed it to accommodate a lot of humour. When things go wrong I can always depend on full-on comedy. Let me experiment with Kyon Ki.... It’s a total emotional film. If Garam Masala clicks and not Kyon Ki... I’ll return to making comedies.

Q:Is John Abraham good at comedy?

I’m happy with his performance. I had been asked the same question about Akshay and Suniel Shetty when I made Hera Pheri.

Q:Everyone in Mumbai wants to work with you?

Not true! In any case there are only four saleable stars, and you never know how their mind works. So I’m not making any plans. But I’ve given up doing Malayalam films for now. For two years, I’ll only make Hindi films. I think I should make hay while the sun shines. I can’t speak in Hindi. But I can read and write it.

? SKJ