'In four years, I have learned all the games people play'

Forget Ajay Devgan. And Sanjay Dutt. And Sunny Deol, while you are about it. For if there is one name that is giving tremors to reigning heart-throb Akshay Kumar, it is that of Sunil Shetty.

With four years and nine-odd releases under his belt, Shetty is one of those stars who appears to improve with every outing - his dancing in Shastra being a case in point - and, in the process, makes a serious bid for the top slot in Bollywood.

Shetty is also one of the few stars who appears firmly rooted to terra firma- not for him the fads, fancies and foibles that characterise the bulk of Bollywood's darlings. Neither does he waste time talking about "intelligent cinema" for Shetty is comfortable with the knowledge that he is there to entertain.

It is this combination, of willingness, a modicum of ability and a down to earth attitude that makes him one of the most sought after stars of today. Rediff On The NeT's Sharmila Taliculamcaught up with the hunky actor on the sets of J P Dutta's Border, and led him on to speak of his success, his ambitions and, yes, his mistakes. Excerpts:

You were rated one of the most disciplined of stars - so why have your shooting schedules suddenly gone haywire?

Oh that, it's just that my director's mother expired. Due to this, his schedules got postponed, and I was forced to adjust 19 days of my time. That again meant that other producers were affected. You see, I never shoot two-three shifts a day - I prefer to work single-shift days, and I never shoot on Sundays. So if I try to adjust even five days of my time, then my entire schedule goes haywire.

Then again, something or the other can go wrong on the sets and prevent you from doing a good job, which entails shooting that portion again. Also, at times your co-star cancels shoots, and again you are forced to make adjustments. In the process, schedules can, and do, go haywire for nobody's fault.

You are shooting for J P Dutta's Border. What is it all about, and how does it feel?

Border is a film about our country. There are five heroes in it - and I didn't mind, because the subject is India and let me tell you, I am one bloody proud Indian. When we are growing up, we all have our dreams - and for me, I idolised the men of the Indian army, navy, air force. I outgrew that phase, sure, but when I got this chance to play a BSF officer, I grabbed it.

Border is based on a true story, of the 1971 Longewal battle wherein 90 Indian soldiers fought 3,000 Pakistanis, and won. Getting a chance to recreate that historic incident is something you don't want to miss out on. Again, being able to play the part of a real hero, as opposed to a fictional one, was an added attraction.

Given your early dreams, why then did you not join the army or the navy?

Frankly, that is what I wanted to do. But you know how it is, when you are young these decisions are taken by your family, mine influenced me to join the family business rather than the armed forces.

Your community is traditionally into the hotel business, and yet you choose to start a boutique. How come?

Oh, It was not a break from tradition, as a matter of fact I own restaurants as well. It was the hotel business that first established me and gave me confidence in my own abilities, for hoteliering is one of the toughest businesses to be in, you have to be good at dealing with all sorts of people, you have to slog. I learnt the basics of business in that field, and after I was financially secure, I ventured into the clothes business. Then I gave films a try.

Now I am going back to my resorts, my restaurants, because I feel that I am the best PRO for my own business. If I open a restaurant now, I will get a good clientele from day one because today I am a known personality. In fact, very Sunday I go to my restaurant to see, and be seen. People come there knowing I will be there. So, even as I act in films, I remain a businessman at heart.

But why garments? Why not, say, cosmetics?

See, I did not know any business other than hoteliering. Now, clothes were something I loved, I enjoy wearing good clothes. And because I travel a lot, I get to shop a lot too. Initially, my boutique business was focussed on buying and selling, and not manufacturing. I used my taste in clothes to buy good stuff in bulk and then retail it. And retailing is easy, any fool can do it. So I got the chance to do something, and learn a business at the same time, without too much risk.

You have done some modelling, and now there's films - how did a hotelier at heart get into these fields?

I was never into modelling as such - I did a few fashion shows, that's all. Then I got an offer for a film. I believe that when you have only one life, it makes sense to live it to the full - so whatever interesting and enterprising comes my way, I want to get into. Like, now I want to get into film production, even into making a film studio, there is so much that I want to get into.

In other words, your career has come pretty easy, you never had to struggle?

No way, not at all, it's not been easy. Films, especially, it's been a struggle. People wrote me off when I joined the industry, my looks were criticised, my acting was slammed, my films didn't do well. These things changed only slowly, and after a struggle. Today, of course, I have created a market for myself, my films sell on the day they are announced. But even to maintain what I have achieved, I have to work bloody hard.

See, my background is south Indian, and I am in an industry dominated by north Indians. There were lots of problems initially, but I learned from my mistakes and I kept improving, I listened to the critics and tried to better myself. When I began I was a kid, then I learnt to crawl, I am walking now, soon I hope to run...

So how does it feel to be the most sought after star today?

Let's say, one of the most sought after stars. Feels good. See, I had a few old films that didn't do well, and the critics and the media wrote me off. But as far as the distributors were concerned, even those films sold. After those films were all done, I took a break of one and a half years and did not sign any new films. Now I am back, and in the last six months I have signed a few good films like Krishna, Rakshak, Bhai, Shastra, Border - all of which are now being completed, they are films I am looking forward to. I worked very hard on all of them.

Your dances are, of late, earning some appreciation. Did it take a lot of hard work?

One hell of a lot, actually. Initially, I only did the action films - if it was not an action story, I wouldn't go near it. I did the kind of stunts people hadn't seen - and the fans, they said, wow, man, this guy is something else, he is different. It was this that got me my first few films. Then I began concentrating on my dancing, as I knew I was weak in that department.

Before each shot, I would rehearse it 30, 40 times. See, my producer has selected me for his film, so he also has to take the time and trouble to groom me where I am weak. For action scenes, I don't need rehearsals or retakes. But for dance, I do rehearse - and the results are showing, which is something I am happy about.

How involved are you with your films?

One hundred per cent. I don't do a film without a bound script. I want to be present at the music sittings, even if they think I am interfering. Music, action, scenes, everything about a film I am doing, I am involved with. Take films like Bhai and Rakshak, I have got a complete narration of the story on cassette - everything, dialogues, scene breakdowns, the works. I listen to these tapes, learn what the director expects of me in the various scenes, know my role and the film by rote... yes, I am very involved with my films.

Including selection of costars?

I do have a say in the casting, yes - but only in the sense that I can suggest, not demand. See, in four years, if there is something I have accumulated, it is goodwill. I work hard, I am punctual and believe that I am sincere. So they listen to my suggestions. We draw about five names, and then we all decide who will suit the role best, we finally settle for someone who suits us.

The industry is said to be full of machinations, manipulations, have you ever felt it?

Yes, sure. Many times, I have been signed for a film and then got kicked out. I don't want to give names but this much I know, I have become tougher. I have learned a lot. In four years, I have learned all the games people play. Today, three or four months prior to the film's release, I want to know the mode of publicity the producer is going to go in for and once everything is clear, only then do I dub for the film.

I take all the precautions I have to. In a way, that is being manipulative too, but given all the experiences I've had, I think I am entitled.

Do you cut the scenes of your costars, to increase your own presence?

No way. In fact, I think I tend to enhance my costar's scenes. Seeing myself all the time, I will get bored - and so, I believe, will the audience. Having a good supporting cast means adding to the interest, getting more fans to the theatres. So today, I want Dannysaab (Denzongpa), Amrishji(Puri), Kiran Kumar as the main villains in my films - they are people who have a certain fan following.

See, whatever I do is for the film. Like, if I feel that my director is not concentrating on the music or the action scenes of the film, he is not around while these are being shot, I throw a tantrum. I don't shoot. I want everybody interested in the film. Because, in the final analysis the success of the film matters, nothing else.

So you have now graduated from two-hero projects to solo starrers?

No, you can't call it graduating. It doesn't matter to me whether it is a two-hero or five-hero project, Border has five heroes. My role is what matters. See, I adore J P Dutta, I love my role in the film, and I would do a film with Dutta, or other such directors, even if there were ten heroes in the film. But yes, I do insist that my role be good, and prominent, otherwise I won't do it.

In recent months you seem to be concentrating on acting, as opposed to just being a muscle-bound action hero. Are you confident of your acting abilities?

Definitely. My next six films will prove that. Otherwise, I wouldn't keep saying that come June 1996 my good times will begin. See, any writer who comes to the industry, he wants to narrate his script to Amitabh Bachchan, then Sanjay Dutt, Shah Rukh, Akshay, Govinda and so on. And till last year, the script would reach me only after all of them had rejected it.

Now, writers have started conceiving stories with me in mind. So times are changing, I am getting better and bigger roles. Comedy, emotional drama, family stories, they are all coming my way.

How ambitious are you? Are you aiming for the number one slot, say?

No, what I want is to be liked by everybody. See, People like Amitabh, Shah Rukh, Akshay, fans like them as actors. I want to be liked as a person. It doesn't matter if I am not loved, but being liked is important to me. I know I don't have the charisma or dynamism of the others, so I pitch my goals lower. Like Dharamji (Dharmendra) for instance - he was never number one, but he is still liked by everybody. That is what I want for myself.

You and Akshay Kumar seem to be on this oneupmanship binge - he poses with Sushmita Sen on one magazine cover, you pose with Aishwarya Rai on another cover. Is this some kind of private war you guys are fighting?

Let me tell you, the rivalry between us is media-made. I don't decide who I want to pose with, the magazines do. Akki and I have no problem, it seems to be the magazines that have some kind of internal rivalries going. So if one magazine uses Akki and Sushmita, then another tries to use me and Aishwarya. As for us, posing for pix is part of our profession, we do it in that spirit, and that is all there is to it.

But the magazines keep talking of this rivalry - do you think people don't believe all that stuff?

Of course they don't - fans are not that dumb. Look, they know that the magazines are competing with one another, they put all kinds of sensational stuff on the cover to sell more copies. But that doesn't mean the guy who is reading the who is sleeping with who story necessarily believes it.

So you and Akshay have no problems at all, is that what you are trying to say?

Right, we have no problems at all. In fact, we are doing films together. The magic between us will be seen in Sapoot. Akki is way ahead of me in the industry, and I am very happy for him. See, this industry is like a roller-coaster, ups and downs, twists and turns, hits and flops. We are all Friday-to-Friday actors. There are about 5,000 films being made, and only 10 actors that sell. So we are rejecting 500 films a month each. In other words, I get to choose what I want to do, I live my life the way I want to, so I have no problems with anybody.

Early on, when critics said you were a non-actor, Naseeruddin Shah defended you, said that you could act. What caused him to do that?

Maybe it was the vibes between Naseerji and me, maybe it was the amount of respect I gave him that must have done that. We worked together in Mohra and Takkar, and maybe he must have felt that. Maybe it's because of the confidence that people like Naseerji, and Dannysaab had in me that I am still around.

People said that I was a non-actor, but I was nominated for a Filmfare award for a fifteen minute role - so what do you have to say to that? Look, as long as my fan following is growing, it doesn't matter what anybody thinks. The day my films stop selling, I will quit.

Do you plan to do anything other than act? In this industry, that is?

First off, direction is not my cup of tea. I know a lot about the business today, but direction is very difficult. A lot many people get into it thinking they can do it, but it is not just about making a film. There's so much involved, and it is all very difficult, I don't plan to do it. But production, yes, that I want to get into. There are other things also that I would like to do - hopefully, I will get my chance.

You have all sorts of businesses, then there's films, your family - how do you manage for time?

Trust. I have lot of people working for me, and I trust them completely. Whatever they say is final with me. My family has always supported me, they are all looking to this period, with six of my films about to be released, very cautiously. They are all hoping that my films do well. If they do well then I will cut down on my film assignments even more. I will make some more time for them.

At the moment, the only thing they want is for me to be in a comfortable position in the industry, to survive the three disastrous films that came before. Because I and my family know that if I give a good film now, then I will become very stable in the industry.

But anyway you don't do too many films...

I know that. In four years I have had nine releases. But even then, I want to cut down. I want to have one release every three months at least, and be more organised. Now what happens with me is that all of a sudden, there are three releases, then follows a period when I have none. This I need to change, be more organised.

Your career has been relatively scandal free - except for that Sonali Bendre episode...

Again, the media played a part in this whole thing. And I suspect that some producers of mine encouraged the media to write about me and Sonali, thinking it could help my films. But my image is that of a family man, both on and off screen.

On screen, my fans don't mind me romancing, but off screen they hate it. And I guess that is why the Sonali think died a natural death, nobody believed it because it just wasn't true. Sonali is a nice girl. Full stop.