'I suppose all the excitement of the past few weeks caught up with me.'
There has been a lot of speculation over Shatrughan Sinha's health ever since he was hospitalised a few days ago.
"It was a routine checkup, nothing to worry about," he assures Subhash K Jha.
"I suppose all the excitement of the past few weeks caught up with me. I am fine and resting," he adds.
Shatrughan Sinha has always been proud of his daughter, Sonakshi.
And one of the reasons is that she is self-made.
"She never asked me to produce a film to launch her. Nor did she use my name to get roles. She did it on her own," he says proudly.
"People talk of nepotism. But there are so many star children who do not succeed. My daughter is self-made, just like I was. The difference is that I had no choice. She could have easily taken my help but she didn't," he says.
He's also proud of the fact that Sonakshi bought her own home "with her hard-earned money".
"I remember how proud my parents were when I bought my own home in Mumbai. Today, my wife Poonam and I feel the same pride," he says.
When do we see father and daughter on screen together?
"Haan, woh kuch ajeeb lagta hai," he says with a laugh.
"I don't want comparisons between us. She is more confident than me and far more talented. Ek baap aur ek actor donon ke beech bahot farq hota hai. I am very proud of what my children have achieved.
"Sonakshi wanted to be an actor from the time I can remember. She was outstanding in Vikramaditya Motwane’s Lootera. She reminded me of Madhabi Mukherjee. Now, she's done Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Heeramandi, and the praise keeps coming."
They came close to playing father and daughter in Murugadoss' Akira.
"Yes, the character was that of a father who couldn't speak. All my career I've been seen as a vociferous character who says 'khamosh' to his friends and enemies. How could I become khamosh myself? It would be like Arijit Singh playing a character who sings offkey."
Incidentally, Sonakshi was not keen that her father playing the part either, as the character dies and is seen only in flashbacks.
"Like any doting daughter, Sonakshi doesn't like the thought of something happening to her father," he says.
The duo may just come together in Director Umesh Shukla's film, which Shatrughan Sinha plans to produce.
"It's too early to talk about that project right now," Shatrughan says.
"The details are being worked out. I saw her in Dahaad, and I couldn't stop my tears of joy. I can proudly say that Sonakshi has evolved into a much better actor than I ever was. Her interpretation of the cop's role is so deep and layered, so filled with nuances. It was like watching a seasoned actress' interpretation of a complex role."
