Anil:: 'I'm comfortable with Katrina'

By Subhash K Jha

It looks like the Govinda-Salman jodi has competition. Even as David Dhawan plans to bring the Partner partnership alive again in a sequel, Anees Bazmi is currently busy scripting a sequel to Welcome with the Anil Kapoor-Nana Patekar's parodic partnership being taken to greater heights of hilarity.

That's not all. Nana and Anil's gangster-duo of Uday and Majnubhai from Welcome may become a part of an ongoing series.

"Why not?" reasons an upbeat Anil as he revels in the success of Welcome. "Not only is it the biggest success of 2007 it's also the biggest hit in the comic genre of all times.

Roles of all kinds, not just comic, are rolling in. This film has started a new phase in my career. Frankly when I accepted Welcome I didn't even read the script.

I just said yes to Anees because I had worked with him in No Entry and we share a certain comfort level.

But now for the sequel we've to take the characters to another level. The idea that Anees has narrated to me is quite interesting."

In fact Anil is quite kicked by the idea of doing a whole series of films with Nana playing the two inseparable gangsters.

"In Welcome Nana and I are like two halves of one character. Yes, it would be interesting to take the jodi ahead through a series. Nana and I go back a long way. And we do share very warm vibes."

Anil grins at the memory of doing the item song Honth raseele with Nana.

"It was quite quite crazy. Though we had a choreographer the poor boy went crazy trying to control us. We just wouldn't listen to him. Our movements were all so improvised."

The "poor boy" choreographing the crazy song was none other than Ahmed Khan. "Do you know he was one of the kids in Mr India.

Coincidentally I met Aftab Shivdasani who also played another kid in Mr India at a function recently. They've all grown up. But I certainly don't feel like I'm their senior. I'm as comfortable with Katrina as I'm with Nana."

Adds Anees Bazmi, "I'd love to take the Welcome characters forward in a series. People love the characters. The boxoffice figures say it all. The collections are a 132 crore rupees so far. It's the biggest comedy hit ever. I'm now working on a sequel."