*~*~*Shanghai Fanclub~*'* - Page 4

Abhay Deol, who is known for his off-beat roles, talks about playing a South Indian in Dibakar Banerjee's Shanghai, penning scripts and signing two new projects.

Whether it's his unconventional roles or his candid remarks, Abhay Deol has a penchant for making news. The tall actor, who was last seen in Aisha in 2010 as the suave Arjun Burman, is on a roll this year. Apart from playing an interesting character in Dibakar Banerjee's Shanghai and sharing screen space with Hrithik Roshan and Farhan Akhtar in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, he has also signed two brand new projects of which one is an out-and-out commercial entertainer. But prod him a little further to reveal more details and the suave actor flashes his dimples and says, "I cannot reveal more as the production houses want to make their own announcements."

Otherwise the lovable robber of Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!, who spouted Punjabi cusswords in the National Award-winning film, is now treading new ground. Apart from wearing glasses, Abhay will also be playing a Tamilian for the first time in Shanghai. "My character is a South Indian based in the North and it's will be interesting to explore how a Tamilian based in North India would speak. We do not want to go in for any stereotypes or make him into a caricature, but portray him as someone very real. Next month we will decide how much of an accent he should have and what his mannerisms should be. I call this more of fun than a challenge," smiles the actor.