“I used to forget that I was working with THE Aamir Khan and not my friend” – Rani in conversation with Koimoi

The film is releasing almost after a year and a half of being announced. With a couple of delays already, do you think constant speculation around its arrival has only ended up adding some level of hype to it?
(Says after a pause) See, there are so many things around a film where we as actors have our own point of view. As someone from media, you may look at it differently and even try to adjudge something positive to it. That is good. However for those who are attached to the film, we can’t think in this direction that whether a delay has been good or bad. We have to leave that to the audience.

With Aamir in there, expectations are that of a quality offering though, even if it is a bit delayed.
Personally for me it was a different high altogether since I share a very good comfort level with him. Since he has been a friend for all these years, sometimes I used to forget that I was working with THE Aamir Khan who is such a huge star (laughs). In fact I had to remind myself that ‘Arrey Baba, you are working with Aamir Khan, the actor, and not your friend Aamir Khan. So don’t go overboard’.

You must have missed going overboard with Kareena Kapoor though. After all, it has been a decade since you came together in ‘Mujhse Dosti Karoge’ and together, you must have been fun.
And guess what, in Talaash we don’t have a scene together! I wanted it to be that way but when I read the script, I realised that there was nothing on there. (Says animatedly) It was a disappointment and I said to myself that ‘Hai, kaash hum dono saath shoot karte toh maza hi kuch aur hota’. Reason being that ever since Mujhse Dosti Karoge, where we bonded really well, we haven’t worked together. I am sure if we would have shared a frame in Talaash, we would have brought the house on fire.

Your last director Sachin Kundalkar couldn’t really get the house on fire though with ‘Aiyyaa’. The film turned out to be a damp squib. Really, what went wrong? As an experienced actor, one can sense that you must have realised during the shooting stage itself that there was something really going wrong with the film.
See, when you are attached to a film then as an actor you try that at least in your work, you don’t fail. My responsibility as an actor to my audience is that I don’t disappoint them. What happens is that whenever we work and discuss on the film at a script level, as an actor there is limitation that till what extent you can have a reason with a director. After that it is his responsibility that he proceeds in his own way. That’s a generic process of filmmaking, you live with that and then move on to the next film.

Joginder Tuteja tweets @tutejajoginder