Subhash K Jha

Mumbai:

Even as rumours about Akshay Kumar stepping into Pran’s shoes in Farhan Akhtar’s remake of ‘Don’ gather momentum, ‘Khiladi’ Kumar remains blissfully unaware of these developments.

In a snappy tete-a-tete, Akshay admits that he was approached to do the role. “I’m not doing the film, though I’d love to work with Farhan Akhtar. But if I do this movie, I’d like the title to be ‘Do Don’. Ha, ha!” he laughs aloud. Fair enough, you mumble. “Right now I’ve three comedies on the floor. I’m doing ‘Garam Masala’ with Priyadarshan, who directed my most successful comedy ‘Hera Pheri’. “‘Garam Masala’ is a remake of Priyadarshan’s Malayalam hit ‘Boeing Boeing’. I play a pilot caught amongst several women. It’s a fun role, full of mischief. But it’s not vulgar. I’d never do or say anything obscene in my films.” Akshay is all praise for his ‘Garam Masala’ co-star John Abraham. “John’s very well-behaved and disciplined. We get along very well and have lots of ‘masti’ (fun) on the sets.” Another comedy lined up is the sequel to Priyadarshan’s ‘Hera Pheri’. The movie, directed by writer Neeraj Vora, reunites the ‘Hera Pheri’ team of Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal and Suniel Shetty.

“And what do you think it’s called? ‘Phir Hera Pheri?’ Clever, don’t you think?” Akshay sounds excited. Pausing for breath he continues: “Finally there’s ‘Deewane Huey Pagal’. I feel happy doing so many comedies. But it isn’t as though my career depends on the comic aspect of my acting.” Another project with producer Sajid Nadiadwala, co-starring Salman Khan, is ready to take off. The team delivered last year’s hit ‘Mujhse Shaadi Karogi’. “We’re changing our track completely. There’s no comedy this time. It’s a romantic triangle with Salman, Preity Zinta and myself, directed by Farah Khan’s husband Shirish Kunder,” Akshay reveals. Titled

‘Jaan-e-Man’, the movie is set to roll in July-August. “I’m looking forward to working with both Salman and Preity. Salman and I had a ball shooting for ‘Mujhse Shaadi Karogi’. I’ve never had any problems with any of my male co-stars, although some of them seem to have had problems with me.” Why Preity instead of lucky mascot Priyanka Chopra, with whom Akshay has earlier worked in four hits including ‘Mujhse Shaadi Karogi’? “Don’t read meaning into it. The decision to sign a heroine is the producer’s. I’m willing to work with any actress. I’ve very happy memories of working with Preity in ‘Sangharsh’.”