Shiney Ahuja (top) with Kay Kay Menon and Chitrangada Singh in Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi

Your scenes in Karam were never shot fearing that you would steal the thunder from the main cast?

Yes, a lot of my part was cut out from Karam. Not at the editing table. They were never shot even though they were there in the script. That?s how the industry works I believe. Anybody who watches the film would know how my role was shortened intentionally. However, people have liked my performance. They didn?t like the film but they called up to tell me that my six scenes were the only watchable portions in Karam. In hindsight, I don?t regret doing the film because many important people in the industry have realised my potential.

You have got good press for Sins, too, although it ran into a lot of controversy?

When I agreed to do Sins, I had an idea that since the topic we are touching is so sensitive, there would be problems but I could have never imagined that the controversy would be this big. But my character was so great that anyone would have jumped to do it. I had to play someone double my age ? a 45-50-year-old who falls for a 19-year-old girl. That was so challenging. The progression of the character was beautiful too with the Father being reduced to something which he was not. Although Sins was a big hit, I wouldn?t like to talk about it now.

You would have liked Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi to be your debut. Isn?t that the first film you signed?

Yes, but not before I was sidelined from Dil Chahta Hai. After my suiting and shirting ads, I was auditioned and picked to play the role of Sid alongside Aamir Khan and Saif Ali Khan. But then they decided to go for a star and Akshaye Khanna was brought in my place. The good thing that happened was Farhan (Akhtar) recommended me to Sudhir Mishra for Hazaaron Khwaishen Aisi.

All those who have seen Hazaaron? are gung-ho about your performance in the film?

I have received a lot of appreciation from the likes of Shekhar Kapur and Ashutosh Gowariker, who have seen the preview. Hazaaron? won?t be a Kaho Naa? Pyar Hai for me but people would take notice of me as an actor. The film should have released after Kaante, but once it was invited to the Berlin Film Festival, the producers thought that it should travel to all the international festivals before being commercially released in the country.

Why do you think Hazaaron? is such a landmark film for Indian cinema?

You have to watch it to find out. It?s an epic saga of love with the political backdrop of India in the early 70s. I can?t even put it in a single genre. It?s a love story, a political drama, a period piece, an epic and even a thriller in the last 20 minutes. It?s a very moving film.

What?s your character in the film?

I play this political fixer who comes from the small town of Meerut, gets into a really good college in a big city and falls in love with this girl. This is where my life starts in the film in 1969 and it goes on till 1977. The story keeps moving through these eight years on screen with the focus on the woman who is torn between these two men, clearly knowing that she doesn?t love any of them. Then there?s also a sexual chemistry between them. There?s so much happening in the film?

Which other films are you doing?

I just shot for Agar in Sri Lanka. It is being directed by Amit Saxena, the maker of Jism, and I star opposite Vidya Malvade, who acted in Inteha. In Agar, I have an unshaded white character. After playing all these four differently shaded characters, I think I am becoming a psychopath at the end of it all.

Is that because you get too much into the character you are playing?

Perhaps. I believe there?s only one right approach to a particular scene. When I play a character who is like me I go on an emotional memory trip to recall how I should act out a particular scene but when the character?s not like me, I use some method to get into the skin of it.

You have been turning down a lot of offers from big film-makers?

Yes, I have turned down three very big directors and producers because the roles haven?t been that good. They are planning these Rs 40-50 crore projects with the Khans. I don?t fit into their scheme of things as a leading man. But they want to work with me all right. After seeing Hazaaron?, they only asked me not to do small roles but to go out there and increase my market value. I have also decided not to do ads any more unless they pay me like stars. I know the commercials made me but it?s time to move on.

And will you keep calling yourself Shiney?

That?s my real name. And honestly, I like my name. If I had a problem I would have thought about changing it. But there are people who love me and love calling me by that name and cannot imagine me as anything else but Shiney. Career is important but not that important so as to hurt their feelings.