"I am very happy being an actor" : Akshaye

Rediff, gasp, Rediff, has an interview with Akshaye and it has some cool snaps too. Both are posted here. The photos are old but they have a nice clarity about them and hell, we don't need an excuse to keep posting and re-posting Akshaye's images. The interview:

Akshaye Khanna's last release Salaam-E-Ishq failed to garner expected results at the box office though his work in it was appreciated.
Now, the actor, along with Abbas-Mustan and Bobby Deol, hopes to unleash the magic of Humraaz with Naqaab.
Akshaye talks about Naqaab, and Gandhi- My Father in this freewheeling conversation, and also why he always avoids the media.

You always shy away from the media and only seem to step out when you have a film to promote. Is it because you take your films very seriously and don't consider talking about yourself as important?

I do take my work very seriously, and I am first and foremost a very dedicated actor. I am also a very shy guy so you won't find me chatting or talking that much.
Besides, I often find I'm defending myself more than talking in interviews these days. Personal questions, or accusations about delivering flops or not doing good films end up being accusatory sessions where I have to defend myself. That's why I prefer not to do interviews.

Okay, but Salaam-E-Ishq didn't actually meet expectations. Did that disappoint you?

I can't entirely say that I am not disappointed. But my work fetched me a fair share of compliments. I liked the script. As for box office fate, we can hardly control that, so no regrets.

Which brings me to Naqaab. This is your next thriller with Abbas-Mustan. What makes you work with them again and again?

Well, I am very comfortable working with Abbas-Mustan and I like watching and working on thrillers.

You will also be working with Bobby Deol once again after Humraaz.

Yeah, that was fun. Bobby is a great co-star and great fun on the sets. We click well and I think we complement other as actors.

The heroine with you guys is a new girl Urvashi Sharma. Tell us about her.

She is a very competent actor to say the least. With Abbas-Mustan, even if you are a newcomer, there's not much to worry about as they train you for the job. Plus, Urvashi has adapted herself to the many shades of the role very well. She is fresh but not raw.

Are you happy with the kind of work you're getting?

Well, I can only select the best of what I am offered. By this I don't mean to say that there are not enough good films being made in Bollywood. We are making pretty good films in the industry. It's just that I am not a writer or a director. So I can't quite decide what kind of roles I get.

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Does that mean that someday you would want to write or direct a film?

(Pauses) I haven't given it a lot of thought. The fact remains that I am a very artless and incompetent writer. So that rules out writing. I also don't know whether I am ready for the responsibility of being a director. It is a difficult task but I'm not ruling it out, either. But as of now, I am very happy being an actor.

Come August, and you will be seen in a very big film -- Gandhi: My Father. So far, both you and your producer, Anil Kapoor, have successfully kept the film under wraps.

Gandhi: My Father is a project very close to our hearts. Anil has dedicated a lot of time and energy to this film, and so have I. It's based on the true life story of Mahatma Gandhi and the relationship he shared with his eldest son, Harilal Gandhi. What amazes me is that this country seems to know nothing at all about the relationship that Gandhiji shared with his kids! I mean we all know about Kasturba Gandhi and the Mahatma. But it's like history has forgotten his children. So we felt that this story needed to be told. It's got a universal appeal. And yes, I am quite excited about the film.

So did Will Smith really see the film?

(Smiles) He apparently did, and liked it! That's all I know.

Any other releases?

There's the other Abbas-Mustan thriller, Race with Saif Ali Khan, Anil Kapoor and Bipasha Basu. It's almost complete and should be out by the end of this year. We will talk more about it then.