Upala KBR (DNA; August 13, 2014)

Mahesh Bhatt recently shot for R Balki’s Shamitabh, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Dhanush. Of his second acting part, he says, “Balki called me up last week and said he had a role for me in his film. I had to play myself in this scene and walk the red carpet with Dhanush. I asked him for that part of the script and he sent it over in three minutes. I liked it and said yes. In this scene, I am accosted by a journalist on the red carpet and asked an impertinent question — How did I become the rage of the nation without six-pack abs. I proceed to squash her like a fly and walk away.” He adds, “It was a difficult day as it was a four-hour shoot and I had various commitments that day which included the script session of Hamari Adhuri Kahani and attending Karan Johar’s success party of his three films.”

Bhatt says Balki’s unit was one of the most efficient shoots he has ever encountered. “I arrived on the sets and completed my scene in a jiffy. Balki’s team is very organised and super efficient and Dhanush is one of the warmest stars I have ever met. He has a soft, gentle energy.”

Does this mean that we get to see him more in films as an actor? “Directors who approach me know that I don’t have the capacity to memorise long dialogues and approach me accordingly. Acting, for some reason is not my cup of tea and I still have a long way to go.”