ANUSHKA and DEEPIKA are my favorite co-stars: IMRAN KHAN

From Jaane Tu...' to I Hate Love Storys', his chocolate boy image has melted the hearts of many, but Bollywood actor Imran Khan says he has never really actively given any thought to "creating, making, maintaining and breaking" an image.

"My thought has always been - is the story compelling? Is it thrilling, emotionally fulfilling, and engaging? For me, that has been the driving force," says Imran Khan.

As he makes his way back to the silver screen with the "rom-com" 'Katti Batti', Imran talks about the film, his career, equation with costars, similarities of his and Avantika's relationship with the film and more in an exclusive interview to thestatesman.com.

Katrina, Kareena, Anushka, Deepika, Genelia, Sonam and now Kangana... he has shared screen space with most of the divas and beauties of Bollywood. But Imran's favourites are Anushka Sharma and Deepika Padukone!

Revealing more about his bond with the actresses, he says, "I had a very good working relationship with Anushka", with whom he worked in Matru Ki Bijli Ka Mandola'. For his Break Ke Baad' co-star, he says, "Deepika and I are great at work together."

On his chemistry with Kangana on the sets, Imran says, "She's someone who cares very deeply about the craft and her performance and I respect that."

He says there was no "insecurity" even though the Queen' actress has grown in terms of her acting skills.

Imran feels happy to work with actors who care deeply about their craft. The idea of working with skilled or talented people is not new for him.

"I believe we have to work with diverse people. I worked with Kareena in the movie Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu'. I admired her for over a decade before working with her," the actor adds.

"Whether it's Sonam, Deepika, Kareena, Katrina, Anushka - most people I've worked with have done more work than me. I am still at a stage where I feel like a new person to the industry. I think I have not acted in enough films."

Curiosity is on a high with his next, Katti Batti'. While his co-star termed it as "a thriller with a mystery element", Imran says, "The film is not a thriller. The story is structured like a thriller." He clears the air that the film is a romantic flick. "Katti Batti is a love story," he says.

How was portraying the role of Mandy different for him?

"It is a grown up character and a mature relationship that I portray in this film."

"Romance is the beginning of a relationship. When you first meet a beautiful girl, you take her out to candlelight dinners. There are roses, presents, champagne... But when you are in a real relationship, take more than five years... the romance fades and the realities come into picture."

"There are responsibilities you have to share, fights that you have, difficult times that you go through... True love is when in spite of the difficulties and hardships, you still want to be with them," says Imran, who had been in a relationship with his wife Avantika for 10 years before marriage.

The 32-year-old actor felt a sense of dj vu as Nikhil narrated him the script. "I've had the same fights with Avantika," he recalls. It was exactly the same - word-to-word. I was like - 'Yes, she has said this. I said that'."

In fact, not just with me, anyone who's been in a long-term relationship would have gone through it. "Sabke saath hua hai," says Imran, adding, "It felt very true to life."

There's one uncomfortable fight scene which was similar to Imran and Avantika's relationship.

"In the scene, the girl says: It's not what you said, it's how you said it. Your tone is wrong.' It was entirely the same with us."

One time, in the midst of a fight, I told her: "Arrey, maine aisa kahaa hi nahi... (I didn't even say that)", but she said, "Tumne aisa kahaa nahiii but the meaning was same. (You didn't say that but the meaning was same)".

When asked how he tackled the situation in real life, Imran, who recently turned into a father of a beautiful girl Imaara, lightheartedly added, "After 13 years now, I can't remember the instances of fights."

Imran wasn't quite impressed when he was first offered the film. "When I first read the script, I didn't like it," he says. "My issues were with the second half of the film."

But Nikhil Advani, the director of Katti Batti' didn't lose hope. He personally came over to narrate the script to the actor.

"15-20 minutes into the narration, I felt that the character was quite close to me," recalls Imran.

"Nikhil's tone was totally different from what I read. I read it as a boring and clichd story. But Nikhil had a fresh, innovative and original take to it."

The film basically follows Imran's character Mandy. He elaborates,"His relationship has ended, his girlfriend has left him. He doesn't know where she's gone and why she left. So as he is tracking her down, looking for clues to find her, the audience is finding clues along with him."

Piece by piece, the story unravels and reveals the mystery.

Contrastingly, Imran is glad to have done the film now! He is in awe of 'Katti Batti' as he calls it a "rare one".

"I can't say that about all my films - there are some that I'm not very proud of, some I'm ashamed of...but I'm proud of this one!," beams Imran.

The songs of the films are peppy and fresh. While Lip to lip' song was "physically demanding" for Imran as its filming made the lead pair "dead in their bones", the actor's favourite track is a sufi ballad, Sau Aansoon'.

"Sau Aansoon is a sufi-inspired rock song with beautiful lyrics and melody. It's an incredibly moving song."