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Dolly Ki Doli is set for release on the weekend leading to Republic Day and its producer Arbaaz Khan is cool as ever. With a stable head over his shoulders, Arbaaz is gearing up for the release of his third film as a producer. While Salman Khan starrers Dabangg and Dabangg 2 proved to be blockbusters no less, Dolly Ki Doli is Arbaaz's first film to boast of a female (Sonam Kapoor) as the central protagonist.

Dolly Ki Doli is arriving more than two years after Dabangg 2. Weren't you tempted to make at least one more film in the interim period, especially since your first two films had proven to be blockbusters?

No, because that kind of attitude can get you caught. Today's audience is smart; they get to know whether a film has seen any kind of effort go into it or not. I personally feel that there is certain amount of sincerity in Dolly Ki Doli. There is good level of planning and conviction that has gone into it. Now if that is conveyed in the final product, our job is done. See, audience wants to see how serious you are as a filmmaker when you mount your film. They should know that whether you have bet your last shirt on it; only then they will respect you for your effort. Unhe dikhna chahiye ki bande ne attempt kiya hai ya nahi.

What was that special something about Dolly Ki Doli that made you place your bet on it?

Post Dabangg 2, I wanted to make a film - it could have been just as a producer or a producer-director both. I was meeting many people, especially writers. Amongst a couple of scripts that I heard or read, this novel idea of Dolly Ki Doli stuck with me. It was a reasonably woven screenplay, and of course when I came on board then there were certain changes that I brought in creative inputs. I knew that this was a story that needed to be told. I wanted to get the right kind of casting and production planning in place. Today I am pretty satisfied that the film has been noticed quite well. I am proud of Dolly Ki Doli.

With Sonam Kapoor coming in, it looks like a win-win situation, especially since her Khoobsurat act has been loved by all. However when you had signed her for the film, what made you so convinced about her?

We put our money on her because she was just apt for the role. She has done a job very well; people would like the character that she has portrayed. Having said that, though she features as the girl in the title role, the film is not totally dependent on Sonam's performance to pull through. All the three male characters have a huge role to play in the narrative as well.

Guess Pulkit (Samrat) has pretty much turned out to be one man who is loved by the Khan family, especially after Sohail Khan's Jai Ho and Atul Agnihotri's O Teri.

Well, I have cast him appropriately. The film needed to have a young cast and those who were not too many films old. Pulkit is apt for the character. He isn't there because he is somebody who our family knows. That has never been a reason for me to cast anyone into a film of mine, be it Dabangg, Dabangg 2 or Dolly Ki Doli.

Yes, you took someone like Rajkummar Rao, who has excelled in offbeat films primarily, and dared to place him in a commercial avtar while also giving him a song opposite none other than Malaika Arora.

(Laughs) See, these youngsters are growing as actors and given the platform, they are ready to excel. Now there is one thing to treat someone as a professional dancer and another to showcase them as someone who is just having some masti'. Rajkummar isn't someone who comes with an image of being a great dancer; we had to show him as someone normal. It is a different matter though that he turned out to be a professional dancer and surprised us. He has done steps like any other actor. He has matched Malaika step by step. As an actor too, he has been brilliant in the film.

On the other hand Varun pretty much seems to be starting from where he left in Fukrey. Is he the one in the film from whom one can expect maximum laughs?

All I would say here is that while post Fukrey, people are expecting something extraordinary, he is going to deliver much bigger than expectations in Dolly Ki Doli. Just wait and watch.

You seem to be confident about the buzz surrounding the film.

I am quite happy with the response so far. Honestly after the very first promo, the reactions were overwhelming. There was so much positivity from audience as well as the film fraternity. They called, sent SMSs, shared thoughts on social media, the works. For a film like this to get noticed and visibility is something very important. It is all very encouraging. The momentum that the film is gaining is perfectly right.