celebrity interview : akshaye khanna

Give us your comments on the music of Salaam-E-Ishq.

I think Salaam-E-Ishq has the best music I have heard in the last 10 years. The album is outstanding. It is definitely Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's best work till today. They have always done good work, be it Kal Ho Na Ho or Dil Chahta Hai but this is their best work and also my favourite album. It has very unique sounds, and Sameer's lyrics are also fabulous. It is not the type which will become obsolete after a point of time. You will want to pull out its CD even after fifteen years and listen to the music.

What are your expectations from the film?

I have very high expectations from the film. Every once in a while you see a movie that you like, and say that it is good. Then there are films which make you say "Waah! This is what a great film should really be like". Salaam-E-Ishq is like the latter.

How much do you personally believe in "ishq"?

I totally believe in "ishq". Love is what makes the world go round!

This is your 2nd film with Ayesha Takia after Shaadi Se Pehle. How is she this time around?

I think very highly of Ayesha (Takia) as an actress. I feel she is very good. She is very new to the industry but she brings a tremendous maturity to her performance, which is commendable. She is a very spontaneous actress, definitely not the one who thinks a lot before each shot. Nine out of ten times it works for her. Especially in Salaam-E-Ishq, her performance is very mature, subtle and understated. But she has played the character just the way it should have been. As a person Ayesha is a sweet and nice little girl, always smiling. I am very comfortable working with her.

Tell us about your experiences working with Abbas-Mustan.

Abbas-Mustan are like family to me. We have great chemistry as director-actor. At the end of the day, filmmaking is a very personalized kind of business. It's a very people to people business, so it is very important to make friends and like the people you work with. Abbas-Mustan are more than just friends to me. We share a wonderful relationship because we understand each other very well. We are very comfortable working with each other. They know my strong points as well as weak points, thus they are able to direct me very well.

Which projects are you doing with Abbas-Mustan?

I have done two films with them and I am going to be doing two more. One will release in May-June next year and the other will release towards the end of 2007. The first one which we have just finished shooting is called Nakaab. It also stars Bobby Deol and a newcomer Urvashi Sharma. Both of these films are thrillers, both having very good scripts and I am very excited about them.

Which is your personal favourite genre of movies?

I don't have a favourite genre of movies but I wish Bollywood would make more adventure movies. I am a big fan of spy films like Borne Identity and the James Bond series. I would love to do such films.

What films will we see you doing in the future?

I have no idea what the future holds for me. But next year, I have got a great variety of films which are going to be released. Another movie I am doing is Mahatma Versus Gandhi which is an emotional drama between Mahatma Gandhi and his eldest son Harilal. So I have got a lot of different and exciting movies coming up in 2007.

Can you tell us something about Anees Bazmee's Autograph?

No, it is not happening.

There was a buzz that you were doing a film with your father Mr. Vinod Khanna and your brother in the future.

No, that is not true.

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