P.Nilesh

When wannados meld into movie stars, they often forget that they're here to act. So they settle for a comatose coolness. But Akshaye Khanna's kinda different. Himalay Putra was ho-hum but A.K. '97 was hurrah.

And Border has reaffirmed Akshaye's natural rapport with the camera. A guileless face and a muscular agility that movie frames just love lingering on. As the cynical soldier, Dharamveer Singh, caught in the gears of history at its most savage, AK's been hosannaed by the masses and the critics.

Getting Akshoo (that's the endearment used at times by near and dear ones) to talk is not easy. You have to be content with the dead-pan expressions and just-about-serviceable replies. At this time, Dimple Kapadia, Akshaye and Honey Irani are grappling with a game of cards on the sets of Laawaris. They have given themselves Zorastrian names: Dolly, Cawas and Freny, respectively. Dimple congratulates `Cawas' for being the first outsider to be signed as a hero in a R.K. film Aa Ab Laut Chale.

He flashes his dimples and says: "Ya, it's the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The script is still being readied. So I can talk of my role only after that."

Dimple ribs him, saying that she has her spies planted and she knows exactly what his role is about. Along with Honey, she hams outrageously like a Parsi housewife, muttering, "Chaalni Cawas, patto phenkne."

If the 22-year-old Akshaye is thrilled about the overwhelming appreciation of his performance in Border, he's not showing it. I ask him if working in a multi-starrer fazed him. "Nah, everyone had clearly well-defined roles. From the very beginning I had no misgivings about my role, considering that it was based on a real life character."

The media hype touting him as the "next best thing" could have made his head swell till. But he's pretty matter-of-fact: "Being praised by your co-stars and critics is very flattering. The appreciation thrills me. I do want to be loved by fans. At the same time, I'm not taking all the hype bit seriously."

The clouds that loomed large following the Himalay Putra debacle have now made way for sunnier days. He's also finally deflected those constant comparisons with his father, Vinod Khanna.

"Before Himalay Putra was released, I knew that I'd be compared to my father," he states. But after Border, I'll have to live up to the standards that I have set for myself. Moreover, you can't stop others from expecting good or bad things from you. (Laughs) Funny, everyone in this business seems to have an opinion.

"I'm glad no one has said that I imitate my father or any other actor. I may be wrong but I think talent is in-born. Then there are those who work hard and become good actors with time and experience. I think I've got what it takes to be a decent actor. Plus, I work hard. But please, I'm not a brilliant actor or anything. I pass muster."

That he avoids the flash and razzle that makes piping hot copy is also evident in the manner in which he defends Himalay Putra. He won't discuss the obvious differences that his father had with director, Pankuj Parashar nor the copious amounts of reshooting that the film entailed.

According to Akshaye, "I'd be lying if I said that the rejection of Himalay Putra by the public didn't make me sad. But I didn't sink into a major depression. Hits and flops have to be taken in one's stride. There were so many emotions, memories and associations attached to Himalay Putra, which I'll treasure for the rest of my life. Also, there wasn't a lot of reshooting. There were some minor additions and subtractions. That's all."

With topline projects opposite heroines from Madhuri Dixit to Manisha Koirala, he must believe as if he has creamed the competition. Yet, nitpickers must know how it feels to be cast opposite heroines older than him. Wasn't it a bit much doing a film with Madhuri Dixit? "Nah, I've seen the rushes of Mohabbat. Madhuri and I look good together. In any case, I'm just an actor who's paid to do my job. It's not my business to look into the casting and other production matters of my films. (Laughs) I'm an actor, not a wheeler-dealer."

Akshaye's not the sort to rewind to the halcyon days of childhood and pepper his quotes with a dash of nostalgia. He'll only say, "I've been used to the ways of the film industry. I don't have stars in my eyes. I'd be there on my father's sets, seeing him act with heroines like Dimple and Hemaji. Still, I didn't know too much about the movies or movie stars. It took me quite a while to even tell one actor from another. Boarding school was a bit of a drag though. I mean it was fun, and all that but at times strict regimen could get on my nerves."

Dryly he remarks, "What's the big deal about my private life? Why? Just because I'm a film actor, I don't have to jump into beds. I'm not into romance or affairs. When I meet the right girl, I'm sure I'll fall in love. Like all normal human beings my age, I've had my share of heartbreaks and disappointments."

No problem. Now, I'd like to know if he finds himself in a bit of a spot working with novice directors like Reema Rakeshnath and Kailash Surendranath. Wouldn't it be more prudent to work with seasoned directors? "Absolutely not," he says firmly. "Love You Hamesha may be Kailash's first film but he has huge amounts of experience as an ad film-maker. I strike a rapport with all my directors, be they novices, woman directors or seasoned ones."

Finally what of the goody-two-shoes image given to him by the media? No wild nights, no trails of broken hearts. Are his shenanigans reserved only for the screen? Doesn't he want to be a rebel without a pause. A la Salman Khan?

"All this is the media's doing. They're making me out to be a good guy. Maybe I have a dark side. But I'm not telling. (Laughs) But thank you anyway, being known as a good guy is terrific for my image."