Exclusive Interview with Anil Kapoor

P2k: After producing a serious film like GANDHI MY FATHER what prompted you to opt for a comedy like SHORTKUT? 

AK: I felt like doing both, I didn’t want to tie myself to one type of film. This is a popcorn film, and I had a lot of fun making it. 

P2k: This is your second film with your good friend Akshaye Khanna. How has the experience been? 

AK: Actually it’s my second in directing a film that he’s acted in, but I have worked with him before and yeah, we get along well and there were no problems. 

P2k: How did you zero down upon Amrita Rao? 

AK: Well I needed a beautiful girl to play the main female role, and I saw her in Vivah and wanted her for Shortkut. 

P2k: Everyone is talking about Amrita Rao's fashion make-over in SHORTKUT. What do you think of it? AK: She’s transformed and she looks stunning, it’s great. Manish Malhotra helped to create her new look and he did a great job as always.  

P2k: What are your commercial expectations from SHORTKUT? 

AK: I think it will do well, there’s no reason for it not to. It’s a nice summer film, there’s some great laughs in there. It’s a small film but it has a big heart. 

P2k: Is there any truth to the rumour that you were upset with Akshaye Khanna for not promoting the film? 

AK: No no, that’s all just rumours, nothing but hearsay. 

P2k: There were news reports about the rivalry between Akshaye and Arshad, can you shed some light on that? 

AK: It’s heldi rivalry! There’s nothing wrong with this and it helps the film to be the best it can be. They try and outdo each others’ performances, and this is perfectly heldi, there’s nothing more to it. 

P2k: Sanjay Dutt and you reunite on screen after more than a decade in the MAREEZ E MOHABBAT song in the film – how was that? 

AK: Yes he has a cameo role in the film, it was great to reunite with him, and the song is going to be a big hit as well, it has a great beat. I’d love to work with him again. 

P2k: So you’ve just got back from LA where you’ve been shooting scenes for your upcoming role on 24, what’s it like shooting over there? 

AK: I’m enjoying it very much, it’s different but I am loving it. It’s very professional and everything is planned with precise detail, and runs like clockwork. 

P2k: Finally, do you plan on doing more international projects in the future? And how will you manage to shuttle between Mumbai and LA? 

AK: The world we live in now is so shrunken that this isn’t really a problem anymore. I would love to do more international projects, and I think that the gap between Hollywood and Bollywood is closing more and more now, so it will be very likely that more international collaborations will come about.