Salman is no Devdas in real: Arbaaz Khan

Arbaaz Khan hasn't yet got his due. But he is optimistic. He feels that 2007 will do the trick. Excerpts from an interview by TWF corresspondent Vickey Lalwani.

2007 seems to be a good year for you?
Yes. I have five films lined up this year. My next release is Shootout at Lokhandwala, where I play a disgruntled cop who has to be convinced and inducted in the police squad but thereafter, he never looks back.

Then I have Fool and Final where I play a very interesting character Bosco Chikna, a stylized villain. Then comes Woodstock Villa with Sikander Kher and Neha Oberoi. Also I have done an Indo-Pak venture Godfather which stars Vinod Khanna, Amrita Arora, Hrishita Bhatt and Kim Sharma.

And recently, I completed southern director Lankesh's Hindi film starring Tara Sharma and a new girl called Madhuri where I have a very interesting role of a married man with a roving eye.

What's happening to David Dhawan's remake of Amar Akbar Anthony?
That's happening. It will start by end of 2007. I will play the role of Amar (played by Vinod Khanna in the original). I am very kicked about this. It's in the hands of David Dhawan who is the modern age Manmohan Desai.

You debuted with a very impressive performance in Darar. But things haven't been too rosy thereafter?
I started off with an author-backed negative role in an Abbas Mustan film. But tell me, how many good grey characters are written in Indian cinema? And it was not easy to make the transition to goody-goody roles. But it's happening now. I am getting varied roles.

You didn't do any television after Karishma- The Miiracles of Destiny. Was doing that serial a mistake?
I didn't even try doing television after that. That whole experience was not great. One sometimes takes decisions due to relationships or economics, and they don't fire.

They were going to get Ramesh Sippy to direct that show. Anu Malik was supposed to provide the music. Anurag Basu directed my first episode. But things changed after that. But let me tell you that television does not limit you. Arshad Warsi acted in that show with me. Isn't he a star today?

How satisfied are you at this point of your career?
I don't get too excited or despondent. Yes, I have been moderately successful. But I am someone who cannot be bypassed or ignored. I am lurking in the background ready to stick my neck out. Consider Abhishek and Saif.

Weren't they discounted few years back? It's a matter of time. I am very much in the race and prefer to come from behind, rather than take an early lead and fizzle out. At the end of the race, I aim to be at a decent point.

We heard that you and Mallaika have bought a new house?
Mallaika has bought some property. It's a flat in Tusciny building in Khar, and it's as big as our current one. We have no plans to shift rightaway.

We are living in this house (St Leo Road, Bandra) since nine years. We love this house. But who can predict the future? One day we might feel that we should stay there. Let's see when the place gets ready.

Are film-makers not casting you and Mallika together?
Mallika is in Lankesh's film. We are doing a song together.

What did you feel when you saw M F Hussain's painting exhibiting Salman with a begging bowl, running after Ash and Abhi who are riding on a horse?
Neither I have seen the painting nor am I interested. If such a painting exists, I must say that it has been done in bad taste and there are no two opinions about that. M F Hussain is too big a person; he should not indulge in such things (pauses).

I could have understood if it was some painter who wants to get noticed. Even actors, who make brash statements in their career initially, turn over a new leaf and choose their words after they are established.

Shah Rukh Khan had done that in the past when he began. He made many statements and we said that this guy wants to get noticed. But today we don't see him talking anything unparliamentarily.

Go on...
Salman has moved on (from Aishwarya Rai). Nobody is a Devdas in real life. Nobody is a Guru Dutt these days. And everybody has a past. Why keep digging it out every now and then?

Few days back, people gathered at Salman's house saying that he was getting married?
Rumours about Salman marriage were preposterous. And that became news. But isn't that very common in our country- things which are not news are splashed as breaking news and things which should be discussed are kept at the backburner? This country has enough of news to provide but people are just not interested in it.

Khans have gone through a lot of pressure- Salman's black buck case, Salman's car accident?
Yes. But we are a close knit family- in crisis and even otherwise. We are always with and for each other when there is a problem in any family member's life- be it Salman, Sohail, I or anybody else.