Imran Khan is rather proud of himself. “Before Mere Brother Ki Dulhan ( MBKD ), I knew just two styles of dancing, the ‘Pappu Can't Dance' way and the ‘I Hate Luv Storys' way. But in this film, I have six song and dance sequences. When we did a stage performance for the music launch, I had four hours flat to rehearse, and I managed!” says the Delhi Belly star excitedly. The film, also starring Katrina Kaif and Pakistani singer-actor Ali Zafar, is set to release on September 9, and Imran has reason to be proud as the title track is already a rage. Showcasing the dancing styles of the three Khans — Salman, Aamir and Shah Rukh — the song is a tribute to their experience in Bollywood, says Imran. “I am glad the song is doing well. Initially we eliminated one song from the film which was making it too lengthy. That was to be the original tribute, but then we settled for the title track. If any of us says he is not inspired by these guys (the Khans), he's got to be lying,” says Imran, adding he is impressed with “Shah Rukh's energy, Salman's charisma and Aamir's capability to sense the pulse of the audience.”
YashRaj's MBKD is about Kush Agnihotri (Imran) who, while scouting for a desi wife Dimple Dixit (Katrina Kaif) for his NRI brother Luv (Ali Zafar), falls in love with her. “I'd say the film is about these people who try to wriggle out of a sticky situation rather than run away from it. They believe everyone should be happy in the end and in the process of making this happen unwittingly create a comedy of errors. Our Hindi films with three actors usually end with the hero and the heroine walking down the aisle, while one dude gets left behind at the altar. It is called the Great Indian Kalti (ditch)!” he guffaws.
On a serious note, Imran says he was wary of the script when he first heard out debutant director Ali Abbas Zafar. “It is a loud, theatrical, pantomime kind of comedy, a terrain I have not forayed into in the past. So I told Ali that I wasn't sure if I could carry it off. But he was certain I could. So I went ahead with it. A Delhi Belly is up my alley, but MBKD is the ‘filmi'iest thing I have ever done till date. In fact, I even enjoy physical humour, the Jim Carrey kind. But the trick there is to handle it so it doesn't look crass,” he says.
Imran, who has given his best performances under his uncle's Aamir Khan Productions (AKP) banner ( Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Na and Delhi Belly ) says working with AKP doesn't necessarily spell the best for him. “I get paid when I work outside of Aamir's banner,” he says with a straight face, adding, “I get to travel first class, while with Aamir it is economy. If it is someone like either YashRaj or Dharma (Karan Johar's banner), they ensure the best of hotels to stay in and a Merc to travel around.”
The actor has just one more project this year, Dharma Productions' untitled romantic comedy directed by debutant Shakun Batra and starring Kareena Kapoor. “I am comfortable that I have only one film at hand. I'd rather choose with caution, but I want a good mix of everything. Sometimes, you get it right; sometimes, you don't,” says Imran, obviously alluding to his Kidnap and Luck misadventures.
Ask him about the competition with contemporaries, particularly Ranbir Kapoor, and he's candid. “Stories abound about our ‘fights', but I have to hand it to him that whenever there is any misreporting or misunderstanding, he picks up the phone and directly speaks to me. I do likewise. One can't deny the pressure, of course. We are rivals when it comes to work, but we are sensible individuals too,” he explains.
He may have said yes to the first show of “It's My Life”, SRK's TV production arm Red Chillies Idiot Box's show on the new channel UTV Stars, but this man is wary of the medium. “I am scared of people turning me off while I am either selling something or saying something. I have had offers to host TV shows, but I am not very comfortable. Even with brands (only Coke and Levi's in his kitty), I don't advertise unless they are products I approve of,” he says.
