This ‘house’ is ‘full’ of cricket fans.

So it wasn’t surprising when a leading Asian sports channel announced a marketing tie-up with Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment for Housefull — they had done the same for Mujhse Shaadi Karogi and Heyy Babyy — with the cast of the film, Akshay Kumar, Lara Dutta, Riteish Deshmukh, Arjun Rampal and director Sajid Khan, ready to go on field with their support for Team India in the ICC World Twenty20 in the West Indies.

Interestingly, the release of the romcom entertainer coincides with the launch of the premier cricket tournament on April 30.

Actor Riteish Deshmukh, in a rib-tickling session, admits to pre-release jitters, getting into politics and 'being a rooster'. After long, one of your solo-hero projects!

Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai releases today. Apprehensive?
Nope. I meticulously work on all my projects, but its success is never in my hands. I feel pre-release jitters for every film. I think it's how a film is pitched to the audience that makes a lot of difference. Besides, if it's a small budget, single hero film like Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai, it's not as much money riding on me. And likewise, the returns expected are not all that high.

Is it difficult for you to keep switching between solo and multiple-actor projects?
I debuted in 2003. I did a few solo projects. The scripts that came to me afterwards were extremely boring and unexciting. Eventually, I took on two-hero films like Bluffmaster and three-hero films like Masti and Heyy Babyy and four-hero films like ApnaSapna Money Money. They all did decently well. I agree there was pressure on me to push Apna Sapna... a bit, but other than that, I have never been under nerve-wrecking pressure.

We used to bump into Ritesh Deshmukh pretty often. The lad, who stays in Worli, used to make it a point to go to Siddhivinayak temple every Tuesday barefooted, and return the same way albeit with a huge tikka on his forehead, a sign that he had sought His divine blessings.

However, since about the past one year, we haven’t spotted a devout Rits. When we met up with the actor, he was at his wittiest best, and when we asked him of his connection with God, he confirmed, “Oh, it’s still on, I still go to Siddhivinayak religiously... only these days, I take the sea-link,” he joked, “After all, the government has done an amazing job of it, eh?” he winked!

Of course, it’s no wonder that politician Daddy Deshmukh has sonny Ritesh’s full support, and Ganapati Bappa Ritesh’s full devotion.

While most people will do any thing to kiss a hottie like Jacqueline Fernandes, Riteish Deshmukh flatly refused to do so when they were shooting for Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai.

We hear that it's due to Shah Rukh Khan's influence, the gifted actor has also adopted a no-kissing policy.

Though director Milap Zaveri tried hard to convince him about the crucial scene but Riteish didn't budge.

When quizzed Riteish Deshmukh on his no-kissing rule, the actor quipped, "It's true that I don't like kissing in films. I have been asked to kiss in many of my films but have always refused.

I am a very shy person and kissing is too intimate and personal an act for me to do in front of millions of eyes. I am not comfortable doing it. I can't be detached while kissing someone on screen."

One look at a film title like Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai and it is apparent that the film has a strong 'female' angle to it.

While one can sense that the makers of the film are going all out in establishing the character played by Jacqueline Fernandez, who plays the role of a lovable alien from Venus, one wonders if the film's lead actor Riteish Deshmukh was comfortable with the idea of working in a 'woman oriented' film? After all there have been quite a few films in the past where he has played the central character."Par yahan par bhi kehna waala to ladka hi hai naa", winks Riteish in a mischievous tone while dismissing the insinuation, "Yes, you do say that 'jaane kahan se aayi hai' but the remark is made by the hero.

Jokes apart, there isn't anything like the film being woman oriented or man oriented. It is a story of a pair which is made of a boy and a girl from two different worlds."Right from Day One of the film's promotion, it has been evidenced that quite a lot of emphasis has been on Jackie's character. Whether it is the talkie promo or the songs which are currently on air, there is Jackie all over.

IT’S a long-time desire realised for Riteish Deshmukh. It’s taken the actor seven years since his debut film, Tujhe Meri Kasam, to feature in a love story, Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai! (JKSAH). “I’m just getting back to where I started. It’s just that I have much more confidence now. JKSAH has a great script; there is romance and humour, but no negative element,” says Riteish, who loves feelgood romantic movies like Dil To
Pagal Hai.

He’s worked with director Milap Zaveri on this film and says it’s always pleasant to work with a friend, for the two go way back. “Milap is a romantic at heart and even brought out the romantic in me,” says Riteish.

Did the actor recommend Sri Lankan beauty queen Jacqueline Fernandez for JKSAH? “No. It was Milap and Sujoy Ghosh’s decision to cast her and she’s under contract with Sujoy,” he clarifies.

Ritesh Deshmukh is quite the opposite of the actors of his time. In a way Ritesh is not keen on treading the beaten path. May be this is the reason why the actor wants to do some regional films now. The actor who is currently busy promoting his forthcoming film JAANE KAHAN SE AAYI HAI makes no bones of the fact that he wants to be part of the Marathi cinema now.

Talking about it, Ritesh says, "I think I have done a lot of Hindi films and I now want to do some Marathi films too. I am a Marathi, and some of the best films of last few years have been Marathi films. Since, Marathi is my culture; I feel I should do something in my mother language now. I might finalize something very soon on that front."

At the moment Ritesh's only wish is to see his upcoming film JAANE KAHAN SE AAYI HAI to strike the right chord with the audiences. Ritesh will be romancing an alien played by Jacqueline Fernandez in the film.

Writer Milap Zaveri is ready to test waters with his first directorial venture JAANE KAHAN SE AAYI HAI. The film, starring Riteish Deshmukh as a loser and Jacqueline Fernandez as an alien, has had the film fraternity [those who watched the screening of the film] praising it for its simple and interesting narration.
Not many are aware that it was Riteish who prodded Milap to try his hand at direction, while shooting for HEYY BABYY in Australia [Milap had penned the screenplay of the film]. So when Milap returned to Mumbai, he decided to give direction a serious thought.
Milap approached Riteish to head the cast of the film and by the time the story narration concluded, both Riteish and Milap knew that Riteish wouldn’t do the film. Two days later, Milap approached him with a different script – JAANE KAHAN SE AAYI HAI – and also insisted on giving a narration in the veranda of Riteish’s house. “The room we sat for the first narration, I joked, was jinxed,” Milap reminisces.

Riteish Deshmukh believes in multi-tasking. Though currently, he's busy promoting his next release Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai he's also in the process of setting up a state-of-the art educational institution in his hometown Latur in Maharashtra.

His architecture firm Evolutions in partnership with another firm is designing the place.

Riteish says, "There are a couple of things happening with the architectural firm which includes designing concept villas for a holiday home in Alibaug. That's almost complete. The new thing that my firm is in the process of designing is an educational institution in Latur."

Education a priority
Riteish adds, "Education has always been a priority for me and it's important to have schools with good facilities where education is imparted in a newer and different system. My dad and brother run educational trusts in different villages but I want to build an educational infrastructure in Latur, which is as good as or better than the ones in Mumbai. We should start the school by next year."

Actor Riteish Deshmukh, 31, gives out a slew of interviews at director Nikhil Advani’s Bandra office terrace. Sitting hunched at a table, he answers queries on his first solo film in seven years, Jaane Kahaan Se Aayi Hai, which releases on April 9. Riteish studied architecture in Mumbai to practice it in New York. He is still a partner in a Mumbai architecture firm called Evolutions. He also belongs to what can politically be called one of Maharashtra’s first families. His father, Vilasrao Deshmukh, former chief minister of Maharashtra, is now a central minister. Elder brother Amit is an MLA. After his interviews, Riteish lets us into an office. He sits back and talks passionately for one hour with RISHI MAJUMDER — about politics and architecture. And why he chooses cinema over these. Excerpts:

Are you connected to your lineage? What does Latur mean to you?Latur means everything to me. I keep going back to Latur and the Maharashtrian traditions I have been brought up with. My family culture is very much like the Congress culture. There is no exclusivity. We go to the temples as well as the mosques in and near my village. I was born in Latur and came to Mumbai when I was five. From then, till I was about 23, every vacation was spent in Latur. I’ve played in mud, climbed trees, milked cows, run around in puddles and put firecrackers in cow dung to watch it explode. I’ve done everything a village boy could do, even though I grew up in Mumbai. There were always both worlds