So, has the film industry welcomed you back?
Well, Anil Kapoor did greet me with a hug and "Welcome back“ when we met at the airport. And when I hurt my foot, Dimple ma'am wondered, “How did you manage that?“ (Smiles) On the sets, if any actor goofed up repeatedly, Naseer bhai (Naseeruddin Shah) would nudge me with a straight face, “See Shiney, you are not performing well, you need to concentrate.“ And I'd promise him I would if he urged me on with a “Ready, steady, go get into character,“ which he did when I faced the camera.

So, it was a fun shoot?
It was and I thank director Anees Bazmee for puting his faith in me despite comedy being a new genre. I've experimented with it just once before in Har Pal.

What's happening to Har Pal?
I got a call from the producers early in January. They're planning to finally release the romcom and were checking with me on my schedule. Anees bhai made it easy for me when filming Welcome Back. He has a great comic timing and his positive energy is infectious.

Anees says you fit the character of the rich, spoilt, playboy, who's the son of a don, so perfectly that you didn't even need to act...
I think he means that as an actor I pulled off the character because otherwise I have little in common with this guy who lives in a mansion and drives Ferrari's. My dad was a salaried colonel in the army. I am a middle class boy from Delhi who came to Mumbai in 2000 with Rs 16,000 and no place to stay. And this character is not a playboy. He's been in love with the same girl since college and can't see beyond her.

Any other offers?
When I was filming Gangster there were a lot of offers. But if I liked the script, the production house was not sound or the director was new. Anurag (Basu) advised me then to wait for people to see me in the film instead of going with a maker who was only coming to me because I was doing a Mahesh Bhatt film. He was right. After Gangster released, I signed Woh Lamhe and Life In A... Metro, followed by the commercial Bhool Bhulaiya. It's the same now, I've chosen to wait.

What if Mahesh Bhatt who had earlier rejected you on the advice of Vikram Bhatt, Mohit Suri and Karan Darra, were to return to you?
People do what seems right to them. If I judged them for that and held grudges I wouldn't be any different from the others. It would need a big heart for Bhatt saab to approach me after publicly saying what he did. I would respect the magnanimity of his decision and work with him.

If producer Firoz Nadiadwala were to offer you another film after Welcome Back would you accept it even if you didn't like the role?
If he did, I would, but he's an intelligent man. He wouldn't want an actor doing something he wasn't comfortable with.

Hasn't the delay in release made you impatient?
My first film, Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, released after three years when the timing was perfect. Welcome Back has been delayed by five months. You can't pre-plan anything, you have to submit to His plans.

Have you changed as a person?
No, I'm just a little bit more patient.

Are you awkward with your heroines?
Why should I? Chitrangda (Singh) spoke in my support, Kangana (Ranaut) on a TV show said she'd work with me again if the script is good. Soha's (Ali Khan) first reaction was “I can't believe this“ and Preity (Zinta) sent Anu a nice message as well.

Didn't you think of switching careers and settling down somewhere else?
I could have moved to Canada or New York but my daughter Arshiya would've learnt to run away from problems than face them. I still live in the same house, the neighbours have been very supportive, so also the film industry. It wasn't easy. My mother was diagnosed with cancer a year-and-a-half ago. I got her treated in Mumbai. My parents are happy to see me doing what I like.

And your wife, Anupam?
Anu is a part of me. When I say I or me, I mean us. This old fashioned thing called love and her belief in me has kept us together. Also, our daughter who's seven now. Every morning I thank God for our moments together.