What’s new about your character in Dil Dhadakne Do? I grew up in Bandra and studied in the US . I’m quite a yank, but I’ve never played a character this urban. Kabir Mehra is a rich and confused kid. He’s stuck doing something he has no interest in. He meets a girl, who changes his life. He badly wants to break out from his sheltered life but doesn’t think it’s possible. How he deals with it makes my track a coming-of-age story. You fell off a horse and suffered a ligament tear while shooting for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Bajirao Mastani. How are you recovering? It’s a severe injury. I had a dislocation and I tore my labrum. But the physiotherapists are very happy with the progress. Since I was at a high level of fitness when the accident happened, I’ve been able to overcome it in record time. Yet, I feel slow and am raring to get back to my full potential. The character you play is another extreme. You play Bajirao Peshwa. It’s a warrior epic, a costume drama for which I have gone bald. It's a very demanding and exhausting film. But Mr Bhansali and I get along extremely well. I adapted well to his style and process during Goliyon Ki Raasleela – Ram-Leela, and we struck up an amazing synergy. Most of the times we don’t even talk on the sets. I finish a take, look at his face and I know exactly what he is thinking. I keep telling him that he’s the Marty (Martin Scorsese) to my Bobby (Robert De Niro). Every actor has a special creative collaborator and Mr Bhansali is that person for me. Your last release, Kill Dil, didn’t work. I neither get carried away with success nor do I get bogged down by failure. We designed it as a musical and the music didn’t work. Is it true that you came up with the creative idea of promoting condoms? I was getting offers to endorse several products such as fairness creams, which I would never do. It had me thinking if there is a product that actually needs to be endorsed. I thought of the problems we have in India — unwanted pregnancies, AIDS, overpopulation, and STDs, all of which can be sorted by the awareness around the use of condoms. It’s a product that would actually make people’s lives better. I asked my manager to check with Durex and eventually, I collaborated with them and Karan Kapadia, my childhood friend and director, for the campaign. I came up with the dance steps and lyrics. We also decided to break the image of a condom commercial being sleazy. We made it fun, bright, happy and colourful. Sex isn’t a bad thing. You attach a lot of importance to your endorsements. Each of them, including the latest Rupa ad, is like a music video. I see ads as a part of my equity. I can’t just go, do my job and pick up my pay cheque. Whether it’s the AIB Roast, my movies or ads, I’m always trying something different and creative. And the audience doesn’t choose to watch ads – they are subjected to it. This makes me more responsible about giving them something substantial rather than just selling a product. Do you see yourself venturing into other aspects of filmmaking? I want to write, direct, sing, compose music, edit, shoot and do everything related to film craft. I already have an idea of a black comedy and an absolutely brainless entertainer. But right now, my creative urges are being fulfilled by acting. I want to attempt a comedy, which is the toughest genre. Your unorthodox sense of fashion is always a topic of discussion. My fashion statement is not the result of some designer’s calculation. It is an expression of how I feel. I don't filter it, I allow it to flow and don't think about how people will react. This fluidity of expression allows me to be a happier and free person. Otherwise, I would feel restricted, stifled. What do you have to say about the AIB Roast controversy? I have a lot to say but I can’t since the matter is in the court. I respect my father’s advice to not speak about it. He didn’t know I was participating in the Roast till I showed him the video. Now, it’s a real headache for him as he’s handling the whole matter. He’s like a friend, guide and confidante who gives me an outsider’s perspective.
